Whats a 50 lb bag cost now?
Cracked Corn
I'm not real sure about the 50 lb. of corn. But I bought a 40 lb. bag of egg pellets, a 5 lb. bag of cracked corn and a 5 lb. bag of crushed oyster shell for my chickens yesterday. The total for all 3 items, tax and all was $ 10.49
I don't have a farm tax number, so I have to pay sales tax.
Yesterday I paid $8.45 for 50 lbs.. total price..
Larkie
WOW, this summer I should drive over to OK and pick up supplies. A 40 pound bag of lay pellets costs $12 here. I buy 5 lb bags of corn on the cob for around $4, and let them dry even more in our heat. The kernels come off much easier, and give my girls something to work on.
Here in southwest Virginia:
whole corn is $6 for a 50 lb bag
cracked corn is $8 for a 50 lb bag
laying pellets are $9 per 50 lb bag
cracked corn/gluten/distillers grains mixed are $180 per ton
the extension agent here says he expects corn prices to stay high for at least the next year. There is something like 80 new ethanol plants expected to come on line this year, that will keep the price of corn high. I am planning to grow some of my own corn this summer.
Yesterday we paid $8.49 for a 50 pound bag of cracked corn. Layer mash cost $8.29 for 50 pounds. Think I will have to raise the price of eggs to break even. We currently charge $1.25 for large and $1.50 for jumbo eggs.
There is never a profit in the farming business. I know I grew up on a dairy/farm. We did it all and even with price supports we barely broke even. Check the price of barley it would substitute well for cracked corn. Or at least my old milling background would say that. Make sure you are substituting oyster shell or other calcium source. Usually that is not necessary when layers are free ranging.
in michigan, i can get it from most feed stores for $5.50 a 50lb bag. whole corn is 50 cents less, other than during hunting season, when you can get whole corn for 4 dollars a bag. i love hunting season, but after its over, all the carrots and apples and corn goes on sale so i can bless my little chickens for less of a price. layer feed here is a bit more pricey though, that cost me $10.50 a bag and i can never seems to find a calcium supplement at three stores that are close enough for me to shop at. i wish TSC sold crushed oyster shell
There's some real profit in farming for the local markets and restaurants, esp. in permaculture agriculture. Whether or not one gives credence to the term "organic," there is a growing demand for food that is local, hasn't been raised by unnatural methods, nor irradiated, nor treated with chemicals and hormones. I know of several farms (not just Polyface) in this area that do well with permaculture methods: they sell all their stuff locally.
Obviously, it's a complicated subject. I'm no expert, and I'm not villifying conventional farming. I just know there are farms here doing well that don't feed into the big food business.
Have you looked at a pet shop for the crushed oyster shell ?? I know some ppl use it for breeding their pet stock. The pet shop might be able to get you a large sack reasonably priced, it's worth a try .
~Julie =0)
Most garden shops have it too. You can use any source of calcium. Here it is in our water and soil. Calcium Carbonate, or lime. I think that agricultural lime is also a cheap source.
Some people supplement by getting leftover produce from grocery stores. Good for chickens, and cheap. We crush up our own eggshells and give them back to the hens. We could give them in halves, but I don't want to give the girls ideas. :)
I do that too. Funny, I thought the same thing. I always crush them, hoping they won't recognize what they are and get ideas about egg eating.
yeah, I jeard you should boil them, too, to get rid of that eggy taste :)
I give me girls all the produce and bread stuff that goes funky here ( okay, I admit, I've given them perfectly fine bananas when the DH wasn't looking :) ) and they love bird seed in addition to their regular layer corn.