[graemeatwellbank]

Jumping from recent postings by AndynJ, I was wondering what does it take to feed 100 chickens?

How many kg of proprietary feed per week?

Also the cost of this feed is I think quite high so, if chickens are free range in a large area (half-acre per 100 chickens) could they ‘prosper’ if being fed supplementary grain which I find is about 110 per tonne (wheat, oats, barley) plus a bit of linseed, milk, veg, oystershell… rather than feed them on the expensive mixes at least until winter comes around?

[devonlady]

I hope others will come along with proper costings but, try to work out a handful of layers pellets per bird each morning and a small handful of whole wheat per bird in the evening and I do mean a small handful, too much and you're feeding rooks etc.
Too much milk will make them fat which will affect laying. They will peck at and enjoy vegetables though, unless you don't have to pay for it won't need linseed. Oystershell they will need little of, put a few lbs in a hopper for them to take as and when.
In winter they will benefit from green veg. kale, sprout tops, dark green cabbage.
I hope this helps or, at least, gets a few more answers to your query.

[farmers wife]

Is that fatteners or layers?

Ball park using layers mix no more that 4 tonne per year may be over but working on wastage.  Could be 3 - 3.5t but being on the safe side this sounds about right for us on layers


One important point to add mine as pasture raised and there jury is out whether there is any cost savings on this system when it comes to feeding - I would say a tiny % but seeing that we have never kept chicken indoors we have no comparison however, reading what others in the USA have said there isnt much in it. Not sure what you mean by supplementary feeding as the birds wont get much from the pasture.


You would have to be very careful on the feed you would need to work out % protein of each grain to the % of each mix.  At certain times of the year you could be low or even over.  For us its too risky and too much hassle mixing and messing - you would need good vermin proof storage.  For us on as low import farming the time element is paramount.  I get mine delivered from HiPeak organic around £450pt and its put in shipping containers.  We can wheel barrow enough for a couple of days and thats the time element complete.  Make sure if you think about mixing, collecting and storage your time has been factored in this. Mine also have less than 10% scrapes - veg etc (keeping PC here). There are people who have worked out the % of each grain usually USA sites good for this.  But I wonder if there will be a huge cost saving.


So for 100 chickens I would be careful if you want to be efficient and keep loses down. Sometimes cost savings on feed are not a saving overall if you get my jist.

[graemeatwellbank]

Thanks for your responses.

I suppose I am under the Asian influence. While the conditions in which poultry are kept is atrocious and cannot be condoned, what I see is birds eating only scraps and both growing (not sure how fast) and laying regularly.

Not suggesting I would in future feed bird on stale rice and veg scraps but I was questioning the need for specific ingredient mixes which I'm sure were not used in UK in times gone by - so is it all to do with getting more eggs and quicker maturation?

Don't want to stir your collective ire, just really interested in learning what is right (and why).

[farmers wife]

I know what you mean.  Not many moons ago chickens were prob only fed scraps and corn. They prob lasted well and layed good.  Perhaps our diets were better the quality of the food waste etc.  Because of our treatment of food and our terrible practices put a stop to it in general but I would assume most owners feed scraps or what we call 'allotment waste' got to keep it PC and legal.


My birds are 'pasture raised' and can forage and have a luxury life. However our climate, short daylight, soils etc hybrids means that the % protein & mixed diet has to be spot on.  Saying that I wonder if older pure breeds survive better?

[graemeatwellbank]

Thanks for not jumping down my throat.

Surely some other wise words out there.

I see that from info posted, 4 tonnes of feed at 450 = 1800 (sorry no pound sign on my computer) = 18 per bird per year.
Gives 300 eggs at 6 pence each!! Seems good if you put it that way but..................
Even at 250 eggs it is still a good outlay but..............

Buy birds at 5 or 6 quid and get a pounds worth of eating when they become redundant plus some extra costs to factor. Eggs still come OUT cheap.

If I could sell the eggs, all of them all of the time, it could be worth while
BUT I still think we would be paying too much for feed and again, if grains make up the bulk of the feedstuff why not buy grains - even if you need to push them through an old mangle to crush them before dinner time.   

Sorry I am normally non-compliant or worse! Nature and nurture combined. Roll on retirement.
 
?

[farmers wife]

30p per week per bird is about right on just feed.  My eggs sales are £2 for 6, £3.8- for 12, £8.50 for tray.  I have worked out that a box of 6 costs £1.20.  So I'm making 80p on a single box (less on more).  This excludes the delivery which I do once a week but only local and try to tie in a shop or something else to make the journey efficient.


My costs were initial and may be slightly wrong now as I had initially worked out on 2.5yr lay however with hybrids its 18m max.


Cost of birds - £8 POL vac quality hybrid with 13m of lay = £0.15pw
Cost of building housing (thats been covered now) maintenance etc
feed - 30p pw
odd vet visit (once a year) usually tired in with other visit for cattle but assume hr £20 max £0.03pw
Tylan, wormers and other expensive vet only meds (wormer £60, tylan £30 other £20) £0.02pw
Shell, grit, water vits, DE, red mite treatment £60pa £0.01pw
Moving eggmobile (fuel) £??
box and label (include carriage cost too) £0.18p box & 2p label = £0.20p
some labour - hence prev low input note but really labour isnt factored in precisely as cant be
advertising (free FB)
leaflets (self printed very few but still an overhead) £5


What I havent factored in is moult, broody and sudden no lay at 18m.  Winter drop in numbers. Also I havent mentioned the fact that I have about 18 chickens that are not laying but eating which need to go asap! Another one to include is loss by illness, sudden unexplained death, fox/bird kill.


The reason why you either keep very small (self sufficient) or go big in number (thousands).  Being in the middle half soaked is very poor and this constant learning for me.  I am now in the middle of poor lay, too old hens and low sales.


We are organic for many reason - GM and pesticides therefore locating grains under 1t bags is non existent virtually impossible as we live in wales not known for corn growing.  Buying grain in 20kg bags doesnt exist in the organic market.  you would have to drive to mills in South West to pick up bags.  Buying grains to tonne bags has too many risks associated and buying all this feed in vast amounts is financial suicide. Paying £45 carriage on each bag is also a burden.


My organic feed consists of: Maize, wheat, soya (yuk),sunflower, calcium carb, beans, linseed oil, vits and mins.
crude oils & fats 5.1%, fibre 4.2%, protein 18%, ash 13.6%, calcium 4.1% copper 14mg/kg
Added vits: Vit A, D3 & vit E.

[Skandi]

Now I didn't have 100 but I do have 6 hens that eat 15kg every 4.5 weeks, So that's 28kg per bird per year. they get three parts layers pellets, one part wheat and one part barley/rye/oats whatever I happen to have picked that month. they have a large enclosed run which is grassed, and big enough to stay grassed, and suplement themselves with frogs and insects, I do not give a large amount of garden scraps, they get some weeds and occasional brassica leaf, but to be honest they are not intersted in the summer when they have unlimited grass, for the winter I have sprouts, kale and cabbage growing for them.
My old breeds (Maran and Dansk landehøns) manage fine on this giving the same number of eggs they did on pure pellets. But the laying crosses did not do well, whether it was age (only 2) or the change in diet I do not know but both developed thinner and thinner shells untill they were both culled. (oyster shell is always avaliable)