How to save money on chicken feed

As prices in the grocery store rise, so are chicken feed prices. However, there are ways to cut down on this cost by supplementing some of your chicken’s feed with other foods. Since we started raising chickens, our feed prices have gone up $3 per fifty pound bag. While that may not seem that much, it does add up over time. We have found how to save money on chicken feed with some thrifty ideas.

Why are chicken feed prices rising?

Since much of commerical chicken feed is comprised of soy beans for protein and corn for energy, the price is rising. Soy bean and corn prices have risen dramatically over the last two years in part due to the conflict in Ukraine creating supply issues. Even though supply is low, demand has increased. I’m sure more and more people are turning to backyard chickens as a source of food security.

This is not the first time in history that people have needed to get creative to feed their animals. Before commercial feed was the norm, farmers would feed new chicks boiled eggs, oatmeal, and bread crumbs. Older chickens were free ranged and fed from the garden year-round. Farmers relied on grains such as corn and barley to feed their chickens the bulk of their meals. There is so much to learn by looking back to see how chickens were fed before the global supply chain became what it is today. Now we can see the flaws in it and begin growing food at home, for ourselves and our animals.

Supplementing chicken feed

While you do have to be careful supplementing your chicken’s feed due to the fact that chicken’s do need a certain amount of protein at different ages, you can find things to feed them that will actually aid in their overall health. Here is how to save money on chicken feed without sacrificing your chicken’s health.

How to save money on chicken feed by free ranging your chickens.

We let our chickens forage all day long. They find bugs, seeds, and weeds throughout the day to munch on. They find grit on their own so that we don’t have to buy it. They also create their own dust baths. Ours make dust baths on the outside of their coop and under oak trees. By free ranging our chickens, they are happier and healthier. We feed our chickens a little feed every morning and leave it out for them to eat as they please. It is obvious what they prefer though. We find our chickens scratching and searching all day long on our two acres of land.

Ferment your chicken’s feed.

Another option the save money on chicken feed is to ferment feed. Fermenting your chicken’s feed adds good probiotics to their diet. Chicken’s eat less of fermented feed than they do of dry feed because it is easier for them to absorb the nutrients thereby filling them up faster. This will cut down on the amount of feed they need every day, possibly by half! Fermenting your chicken’s feed also creates more vitamins for them. Lacto-fermenting your chicken’s feed is an easy process.

1. You will need a container to ferment the feed. Glass or plastic is preferred. We have used half gallon jars in the past because we had so few chickens. However, since our flock has grown, we are using five gallon buckets.
2. You will also need water that is free of chlorine. We have a water well so we don’t have to worry about that. You will place your feed into the container and cover the feed with water. Make sure you cover it by a few inches, but leave plenty of room in the container for it to expand. If you don’t put enough water, your feed will go bad before the fermenting is complete.
3. You will need to cover your container with a breathable lid such as a kitchen towel or fermenting lids used for fermenting vegetables if using half gallon jars.
4. Let the feed sit for three to four days in a dark and cool location. It should smell like sourdough. If it smells bad, toss it. Before feeding to your chickens, strain the liquid. You can reuse the liquid by putting it into another jar and start the process all over again.

How to save money on chicken feed by feeding your chickens with your garden.

A very traditional way of feeding your chickens is through your garden. You can allow your chickens to free range your garden, but risk them eating crops you need. Another option is to bring the crops to them. Here is a list of good crops to grow for supplementing your chicken’s feed:

• Corn. This one is pretty obvious. Chickens love corn, but it is also a great source of energy for them.
• Wheat or oats. Although this is not possible for everyone, it is fantastic feed for your chickens.
• Sunflower seeds. Why not grow beautiful flowers that can feed your chickens at the same time?
• Cabbages
• Pumpkins
• Leafy greens such as kale and spinach
• Comfrey
• Calendula
• Melons
• Peas
• Beets
• Sorghum
• Thyme
• Mint
• Oregano
• Lemon balm

Use kitchen scraps to supplement chicken feed.

Feeding your chickens kitchen scraps is a waste free option to save money on chicken feed. Did you know that the average household throws out almost 1/3 of their food? That is an insane number when you consider people who live in poverty all over the world. Why not cut down on that number by turning scraps into chicken feed? There are a few things to consider when feeding your chickens scraps though.

• Cook potatoes before feeding to your chickens.
• Don’t feed them avocados or citrus fruits.
• You can feed eggshells back to your chickens. This is a great source of calcium for laying hens.
• Avoid any produce with mold growing on it.
• Avoid processed foods.
• Chickens can eat dairy such as milk and cheese!

Feed your chickens weeds from your yard.

If your chickens aren’t free ranging, why not bring them weeds from around your yard or farm? There are so many wild plants that your chickens will enjoy and it will benefit their health. This is possibly as free of a feed as you can get. Be sure that you are identifying the weeds correctly though. There are some weeds that your chickens shouldn’t eat such as black nightshade and horse nettle. Here is a list of safe weeds to feed your chickens:

• Stinging nettle
• Dandelion
• Clover
• Bee balm
• Chickweed
• Purslane
• Wild strawberry

By being creative and putting in a little work, you can cut down on your feed cost. If we start to think like farmers did 150 years ago, we can feed our chickens for next to nothing. On top of that, our chickens can live a more natural and healthy life giving us meat and eggs that are better for us. Feeding your chickens using these ideas, you can be much more self-sufficient.

Do you have any more ideas on how to save money on chicken feed? If so, let me know in the comments below!