Chicken feed can be costly, especially if you are raising your own hens, so being smart about saving money when raising hens is essential. Experienced poultry caretakers use various money-saving techniques to stretch out each penny they spend.
Look for cheap feed at local farms that mill their own grain or at local feed stores that may have damaged bags they cannot sell due to shipping, as these stores could have deals with local cotton farmers for cottonseed meal as another protein source.
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Deer corn
Deer corn is an animal feed used to attract deer for hunting or wildlife viewing activities, as well as provide nutritious nourishment to other species, such as chickens. You can find it sold both outdoors stores and online retailers.
Deer bait is typically sold in bags or compressed into grain blocks for easy distribution and storage, though mixes featuring other deer bait ingredients such as vitamins can also be found to meet deer nutritional requirements and attract deer during winter and fall seasons.
Chickens are omnivorous creatures and will consume most things, including deer corn. However, deer corn should only be fed sparingly to avoid fatty liver disease and other health complications. In order to ensure optimal performance of deer corn feedings for chickens, 90% should come from commercial feed while 10% may consist of table scraps or vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower or other such sources such as jicama. In order to maximize deer corn’s benefits in your area, make sure it’s purchased high-quality brand late maturing variety suitable for climate conditions – otherwise deer corn can produce adverse results! To achieve maximum deer corn potential it’s important to choose high-quality brand late maturing variety suitable to climate conditions in your area – to maximise benefits!
Kitchen scraps
Chickens are omnivorous creatures that enjoy both meat treats and vegetarian-based treats as part of their regular layer feed regimen. Be cautious not to provide too many treats at once as this could dilute their nutrition balance and cause serious health issues for your birds.
Scraps from your table can be collected easily by placing a container out for them or asking friends and neighbors to store a bag in their freezers. Alternatively, using the bokashi process, kitchen scraps can also be fermented before feeding them back to your flock.
Perennial weeds provide another cost-effective source of chicken food. Simply grow them in perforated trays with regular watering to reap their nutrient-rich harvest and reduce commercial feed use. Although this alternative source could potentially replace regular diet, too much reliance on it could cause obesity and hormonal imbalance in your chickens; just a few weeds a week should suffice.
Eggs
Chickens are omnivorous creatures and enjoy eating various types of foods, so their diet should include both protein and carbs. Peanut meal is an inexpensive source of protein made by grinding dry peanuts together before mixing into their feed; cottonseed meal also offers ample amounts of this vital mineral; mealworms are another inexpensive and simple source.
You can save money and control the amount of chemicals added by buying grains and seeds that have been ground directly at a mill. Furthermore, this allows you to personalize their diet more specifically to your flock’s needs by adding in healthy ingredients yourself; Reformation Acres offers 36 inexpensive ideas for homemade chicken feed recipes.
Weeds
Many weeds are edible and high in nutrients for your chickens – not to mention being free, saving money on feed!
Chickens love chickweed (Stellaria media) and oxalis, commonly found in lawns and gardens. Oxalis resembles clover and contains many essential vitamins, minerals and proteins which helps increase egg production as well as help support overall wellness.
Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) often get a bad rep for their painful sting, but this perennial weed can actually be quite impressive. Not only can people and chickens eat them, but its leaves provide essential iron, calcium, vitamin B1 and riboflavin content as well as acting as an antiparasitic, detoxifier and immune booster.
Poison Ivy leaves are an excellent source of nutrients for your flock if the plant is self-seeding and doesn’t produce fruit with urushiol – an allergenic substance which may trigger allergic reactions in people and animals – however, chickens have natural enzymes to break down urushiol so they can safely consume it; just make sure not to overdo it when feeding poison ivy to them!
