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Barnyard Buddies:  How I'm stretching the "feed" bill  |
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Mother Hen
True Blue Farmgirl
604 Posts
Cindy
Peck
ID
USA
604 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 09 2011 : 6:47:45 PM
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I'm feeding laying crumble(about $12-$14 for 50lbs) and also went to the grain inspection at the port and during the right times of the year, I'm adding red or white wheat to the laying crumble. The wheat is only 10 cents per pound!! Sometimes I go to the thrift bread store and buy the old stuff they can't sell for human consumption anymore as animal feed and you can get a pick up truck load of bread for $20.
In the spring/summer/fall I also let them free range during the day but have to lock them up at night due to critters that fancy a good chicken dinner.
What are you doing to stretch you feed bill this winter?
Cindy
FARMGIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING!!!
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalms 34:1 |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1152 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1152 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2011 : 8:02:41 PM
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I feed the chickens our veggie/fruit and bread scraps. They love them. I don't feed crumbles as I find that my chickens waste a great deal of them...plus they try to eat them so fast they just about choke! I found that a lot of the crumbles were nothing more than dust, which was useless. I typically use Purina Layena pellets now.
I also do feed a scratch which I get about 50 pounds for 8.50. :0)
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2011 : 07:03:31 AM
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we grow red worms for our hens. they love them. we put a shovel full of worms and the compost they make in the chicken yard. they fight and run like a foot ball game. so cute. chickens eat worms and worms eat chicken poop. no money involved. we also feed cooked beans pinto and red with scraps from kitchen thrown in and jersey milk from belle. we cook the beans for the pigs so chickens get it also. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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LakeOntarioFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
933 Posts
Brenda
North Rose
NY
USA
933 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2011 : 09:52:03 AM
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Now, that it is just hubby and I again, we usually end up having food we don't eat.(will I ever learn to cook for 2 instead of 7?!!) Some of it goes to our 2 dogs, but we do give the hens quite a bit. Not every day, maybe twice a week or so.
Today they are getting leftover venison chili, potatoes and carrots that were in a venison stew, but we ate all the meat, and oatmeal. Yum, yum!
Brenda
FarmGirl # 711
"If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down. "~ Mary Pickford
http://theviewfromhere-brenda.blogspot.com/ |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2011 : 10:21:25 AM
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I have always saved all our scraps. Even the grands know not to throw food in my trashcan! It all goes to the critters. Everything. Even chickens eat meat. I go to a slaughter house and get scrap meat bones. I cut as much meat off the bones for the dogs. then they get the bones too. Raw. I throw the bigger bones in the yard and the chickens peck away at them. They also get the fat. Good for them. Now I have pigs. So most of the scraps will go to them as they grow. Mt heifers are only grass and hay fed so not much expense there. The turkeys right now are the most expensive animal on this farm. I buy Purina unmedicated for them at almost $16. per 50 pounds. About every other week now. I am mixing it with scratch. Plus scraps too. Oh, and I have a lot of frozen goat milk from when I was getting so much. So pigs will get that too.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2011 : 7:44:06 PM
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Wow, you guys have good resources! We give our chickens leftovers from meals, but I don't even know where/how to get stuff like you guys do! :) Maybe after we've lived here more years.
We use the layer crumble too; when we had silkies they liked the pellets better, but our regular layers seem to waste too much when they have pellets. |
Edited by - SheilaC on Jan 10 2011 7:45:14 PM |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2011 : 07:32:06 AM
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we also cook for our milk raised pork so we give the chickens some of this also. it is cooked red beans pinto beans fresh trim from kitchen, we add vinegar lentils split peas. cook then puree add fresh warm milk. kinda crazy. BUT God gave me pinto beans not lemons so i made soup not lemonade. whats a farmgirl to do with 1500 pounds of free dry clean beans???LOL happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Tammyb
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Tammy
Bluffton
Ohio
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2011 : 1:11:55 PM
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we have always given our birds the scraps from the kitchen ( minus meat and potato,ect. ) without any problems. those things that we don't feed the birds we put into a compost bin. we use scratch grain and laying crumble with no problems. any "left over" foods go to the girls from my work place as well.
tammyb
Live to leave a legacy
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chickenjanedoe
True Blue Farmgirl
96 Posts
Sandy
Claypool
Indiana
USA
96 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2011 : 7:10:29 PM
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Sherry, you are so blessed to have that many beans. Have you tried to start any of the beans as sprouts? My girls love them that way. They have even more nutrition value as sprouts plus they love green food in the winter, yum.
sandy |
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2011 : 05:01:56 AM
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I use a scratch mixed with cracked corn form the feed mill. I also feed my chickens and pig all the scraps thier heart desires! My horse and llama get hay and a mix of 11% horse feed and 16% patriot horse pellets. And my goats get dairy goat feed and hay!
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Feb 13 2011 : 01:25:34 AM
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Hello ladies/Hens :) i am a older hen who is a stay at home wife & i am always trying to come u with healthy things to give my hens/roos especially in the winter since they will not come out of their coops. I did a bunch of research....days & days of it making sure anything i added would benefit them. I am also blessed to be part of a wonderful Co-op where I can get up to 50 pounds of grains, flour, sugar, cornmeal ect. I decided since I was buying certain things for human food to just buy more at a cheaper cost so I have extra for the animals...this includes dogs & cats. the chicken feed 7 cracked corn i get at the feed store but i order raw oats, 7 grain mix, flaxseed, cornmeal, sunflower seeds & stone cut oats from my Co-op. since the chickens aren't as active in the winter & tend to get bored easy I up their omega oils with the flax & sunflower seeds, I cook the oatmeal & stone cut oats once a day for a warm meal for them & then add regular chicken feed into it & maybe one of the other things plus raisins or dried cranberries. i also make a huge batch of yogurt in the crockpot that i can add to their warm daily feed. I have 2 coops, one is set up for injured chickens that never completely recovered & may limp or still have mild seazures. Even in the summer that coop gets a warm meal or at least a meal with yogurt & cool water in it since that seems to be their favorite. My large coop I grow lettuces & lambs quarter for in the warm months & hang that for them to jump at & eat. I also pick the clover & dandelion greens for them in the yard before my husband mows so they get that as well. I feel if I can spoil the other pets i can spoil them as well. Like one of the hens stated her chickens don't eat all the crumble so when i clean out the coops I throw the old bedding hay & wasted feed into the run for them to dig around in. that way some of the old feed gets eaten or worked into the ground along with the old hay. I only have a total of about 20 chickens so by buying the 50 lb bags of extras I have enough to last over a year with some of it...the oatmeal goes the fastest but its only $14 for 50 lbs & my cats & dogs like it as well so I go thur about 100 pounds a year with that. I also buy dried mealy worms at the feed store in the wild bird section to give them in the winter...its expensive at about $20 for a large container but they only need a bit of it plus I have a lizard that has to have them so i justify the cost. Yesterday i made a crockpot full of the stone cut oats & today I will do the yogurt for them...that way I have enough for at least 5 days of warm food for them. Yeah i know....I have gone overboard with this but I sure do love the tasty eggs & happy hens! Michele @2622
The Old Batz Farm |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Feb 13 2011 : 07:29:13 AM
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wow michele you sure go the extra distance for your chickens. lots of new ideas for me to think about here. what happy chickens there are in frmgirl coops. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Feb 13 2011 : 12:14:40 PM
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We stopped feedong our chickens crumbles a few years ago when a neighbor was feeding hers laying pellets!
No waste at all.
We also free range our girls as much as possible, and of course, whenever there's a food scrap to be had, it goes to the ladies.
In the winter we also add the scratch. I found out that corn raises the body temperature, so when its extra cold, it's nice to know the food bill is getting stretched and the ladies are staying warm |
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NancyM
True Blue Farmgirl
113 Posts
Nancy
Fall City
WA
113 Posts |
Posted - Feb 16 2011 : 10:35:55 PM
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I've had some good luck getting fruits & vegetables from grocery stores that aren't bad, but aren't good enough to sell to us picky humans. The hens love it! Make friends with your produce people!
Nancy
Farmgirl Sister #159 |
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Mother Hen
True Blue Farmgirl
604 Posts
Cindy
Peck
ID
USA
604 Posts |
Posted - Feb 16 2011 : 11:30:51 PM
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I love hearing how everyone else is stretching their budget also.
**update** our grain inspection shut down so I can't get grain there anymore. Looks like I'm going to try to see if some of the farmers around will sell me grain (wheat, barley, etc) when it comes harvest time this year. In the meantime I'll be looking for a good way to store a couple of tons of grain so the mice, weather, and goats won't get into it. hhhmmm, time to really put on my thinkin' cap now!
I don't have enough money to buy that many garbage cans with lids, so we'll just have to see. We do have one old deep freezer that doesn't work but we use that to grind grain for my DD's steer for 4-H and our fair isn't until mid Sept.
If anyone has any thoughts on this I'm all ears. 
Cindy
FARMGIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING!!!
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalms 34:1 |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2011 : 04:59:15 AM
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Cindy I have a few silly ideas that might work...since you can't get large trash cans what about getting construction grade at your local lumber or building supply store...they come in big boxes of a roll of them. nest do you have cats that use litterboxes? if so collect the used litter into smaller open containers & put those around the bags of feed sitting on the floor...very good if its got lots of urine in it. May be a bit smelly for you but the mice will smell it & think there is cats around. If it dries out...the cat litter that is wet it with warm water to reactivate the urine smell. I know every where I have a cat box I have no mice so it should work somewhat ....ok lets say hopefully for a ton of bagged feed. Like I said its silly but it might come in handy with you not wanting to lose feed to the mice. Where I come from the older people would collect human urine & use that around areas they wanted animals to stay away from...so that could work for you if you want to try....dilute it in water in a spray bottle & spray the floor around the feed bags. Sounds nasty but hey it worked & it was free. Good luck with this & I would definitely hit alot of yard sales in the spring/summer looking for kitchen trash cans even if they don't have lids as a back up for next winter.....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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Mother Hen
True Blue Farmgirl
604 Posts
Cindy
Peck
ID
USA
604 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2011 : 1:33:36 PM
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Michele', thanks for the info. There are 3 cat litter boxes total between our house and my folks so I think I'll go with that and use the paper feed bags to pile it up in (I can't make totes out of those) so will give this the old "college try".
Cindy
FARMGIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING!!!
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalms 34:1 |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2011 : 09:52:11 AM
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I am so sorry Cindy I missed a important word in my last note...the construction grade should read construction grade trash bags... i reread it today 7 realized I had left you hanging on that p[art & I am so sorry...my hands can't always move as fast as my brain so I tend to leave out things & no proof read them.....good luck, I know feed is so expensive & though the mice need to eat I like you prefer they find something else to eat on. M'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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Christy
Farmgirl in Training
46 Posts
Christy
Manhattan
Kansas
46 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2011 : 12:56:18 PM
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We store are chicken feed and grains in 55 gallon drums. The drums held organic grape and apple juice before so they are food safe. We pick them up for free at a local food manufacturing plant.
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2011 : 07:43:33 AM
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Colorado has some stupid laws about giving or selling produce that is past it's prime. When my kids first started in 4 H some 17 years ago my local produce man would let me pick thru there cast off's and take home what I wanted. Now it is against the law and if you are caught trying to remove it from their dumpsets they will call the police, you will be fined and possibly sit in jail a bit. This is nuts!!! We throw away so much food in the world - even the little school out here would allow the 4H'ers to come and especially for the pig raising kids it was wonderful - now the lunch lady can be fired if she is caught saving any of the food that was thrown away. I truely believe this planet has gone mad!!
I understand not all states are such screw balls - We even voted to not let folks here in Colorado to sell books on Amazon.. I think the thinner air here has effected too many folks.
I use huge metal drums that I purchased 14 years ago at an auction - I think I paid $2.00 a piece and my girlfriend and I trucked home a dozen - over the years they have served me well... Good luck and love this topic.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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Barnyard Buddies: How I'm stretching the "feed" bill |
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How I'm stretching the "feed" bill
