Hi everyone! We are planning on raising 100 free range laying chickens (Rhode Island Reds) and selling their eggs. We are trying to figure out expenses, and need your advice. How much feed do we need (on average) for a month for that many chickens? Also, does anyone have any suggestions as to where we might find organic feed? What kind of price range can we expect to pay for that? Thanks so much in advance. Two years ago we bought 82 acres, and now are trying to make it into a farm. This is our first animal project, and we're really excited!
Another Newbie with a feed question.
Gosh, I wouldn't know where to begin figuring for that many chickens. Have you talked to local feed stores? They may have a formula to tell how much feed per chicken per day x30 days. Organic will cost much more of course. They will take less feed when free-ranged because they'll be eating grasses, seeds, bugs, etc. You can also feed them veggie scraps from your table or garden if you have one. You'll have to figure in losses from predators, replacement hens or fertile eggs to keep production at a steady rate as your first hens get older, housing, bedding, hardware such as feed and water systems, feed storage area, etc. The more feed you buy at one time the better the price will be. But, you have to have a nice tight, dry storage area so your feed doesn't get contaminated by pests. Good luck on your first critter endevour. It's always fun and a challenge. We only have ten acres so I know how much work your many more acres must be!
Lana
Thanks, Lana
We've had chickens in the past at another house of ours, but never more than 5 or 6. We didn't have the room there to let them free range, so I'm not sure how that will affect the amount of food we'll need. Thanks for the tips!
Keep in mind that when you let them run free they don't tend to lay eggs as much. We let our free range but we wait till later in the afternoon because most of them lay their eggs earlier, then we let them out to roam a while. As for feed I have no clue. We have less than 30 right now and we go through a 50 pound bag of feed in about a week to a week and a half. We also give them scraps. One thing about chickens is they like to eat...all the time.
I've never had a problem with a decrease in laying when they are free-range. The only difference I've seen is better tasting eggs and less feed consumption.
Hey lotsofkids, I don't know what you mean by free range, but I do think that you might want to consider having a fence around a very large chicken yard, or at least have part of the yard be fenced in. Otherwise, you may have a lot of trouble with predators. I know that around here, free range hens get eaten by all number of critters. at first the critters didn't seem to know that the girls were here, and I had no problems at all. Then some nosey predator must have published it in the "where to eat" section of the predator newspaper, because it became much more of a problem. Now I only let them truly free range when I am home and in the yard. When I am not home, they hang out in their chicken yard, which has grassy parts, dirt parts, shady parts and access to the coop for when they have that egg laying urge.
Good luck!
I agree they have better eggs. We have some that the yolks are so dark they are almost orange.
Maybe our girls get too busy eating out that they forget to lay their eggs, ha. We don't find any out in the yard either. I have read somewhere else though that if the hens get out and about they tend to slow their egg laying and it's best to keep them in a yard for a portion of the day. Don't remember where I read that though.
The girls love to get out and forage but predators can be a problem. We lost one a few weeks back and another ended up with some leg or thigh damage. She is doing well now and its healing up but we watch them a lot closer now because once a predator finds food they must do as BackyardHens said...Send out an ad :)
lotsofkids, i ahve a book somewher that says how much starter per chick for the ten weeks. i was thinking a pound a week. but that may not be accurate. adn they will certtainly start free ranging by 6-8 weeks. but i would still offer the high protein chick starter for ten weeks. since they are free ranging, i recommend it without the anitbiotics. then you can use the waste on your garden.
if i find that book today i will let you know. congrats on your newest adventure!
tf
Thanks everyone. We are still in the planning stages, but the idea of "free range" here is to have them on pasture following our grass fed beef cattle (that we don't have yet). Does anyone here do that? What kind of portable shelter do you use, and do you have a separate egg laying place too? I really appreciate all the help. Have a good night!
hmm, if i can find it, there is a govt sponsored site where you can get all kind of sustainable farm info, including free ranging cattle and chickens.... yes even together. i read one program where they had cattle, pigs, chickens and something else together! actually saved a junior college by turning their ag program from an expense to a profit!
if i don't get back to this, try searching for ATTRA news...
I know I saw or read about a farmer somewhere who is famous for perfecting the rotation of animals and crops through his fields. The part I really remember is the rotation of chickens following cattle--scratched in the cow patties and ate the pararsites. I think it was either on PBS or MotherEarth News. It was intriguing.
here is a publication fpr starters on Range Poultry Housing...
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/poulthous.pdf
on all livestock:
http://attra.ncat.org/livestock.html
more on production of pastured meat birds:
http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/poultry_genetics.pdf
can you tell i love that site?
tf
This message was edited Mar 5, 2008 11:06 PM
TamaraFaye Thanks so much for the links to that site...what a wealth of info there. So much to learn! Veronica
you are quite welcome. i actually get a FREE newsletter from them to, via snail mail.
Good luck on your venture, LotsO! If you plan to have
organic, then your table scraps have to be organic, too.
If I sell eggs to an organic market, I need a licence, as
there's a middle man. If I sell directly at a farmer's market
or from my place, I don't need one. All states have their own
laws about cleaning, storage and labelling of eggs, regardless.
I can't tell you how much feed, yet, as I'm just now getting my
birds outside. I won't let them free range until I know they
are bigger, and more predator savvy. The older roo, Davey,
is very good for teaching them that. He stopped by to look in
on the new digs, and alerted to a buzzard, and all the chicks
got real quiet and took notice. I love the wealth of info and
links provided by TamaraFaye. Thanks! :oP
may princess kathy be predator savvy.
Thanks for the tips truest. I can't plan on calling them organic yet. I just talked to our state ag guy, and it takes 3 years to get certified organic...so we'll have to wait. But I can call them free range w/o needing a license. Friend and farmers market are the current ways we plan to market, but since we don't have the chickies yet, I'm not thinking we'll be at FM this year, at least not with eggs.
By the way, I've noticed references to Princess Kathy on several boards, and can't figure out what it means. Can anyone fill me in? Thanks!
Sounds like you are doing your homework. I am also
planning on farmer's markets and word of mouth. I don't
know myself if I want to dive right in to organic, but I'm sure
there is a need, as organic eggs go for $4/dz here. I re-read
your original post, and free range eggs are very much in
demand, as well. I think there are a lot more people that
want better meat, eggs and produce that is not grown in the
giant factory way. I am counting on others to want what I
want more of, a product that comes from a healthy environment
free of nasty drugs and chemicals. Feed without antibiotics
is not generally available in my area. Many of the feed stores
only sell feed that way, probably being owned by old school
types. The more my chickens can free range, the less
dependant I will be on nasty feed. I think I would have no
problem sharing the added expense of locating and using
a cleaner feed, in the cost of my eggs. With a depressed
market looming large now, I may have to keep prices low,
but I could still offer my nieghbors a better egg or chicken.
I am considering using a chicken tractor framed with PVC.
This would be lightweight and still offer the free rangers
some protection from predators. I am lucky to have good dogs
that do a good job of keeping away walking varmints, and
I have heard that shiny mylar balloons deter hawks, which
we have an abundance of. They wouldn't have to be filled,
just able to flap in the breeze. The more I learn about the
biz of chicks, the more i want to know, and be successful
at it. :oP
princess kathy is our pricess of the month, a game I play with
several DGer's. We shower her with gifts for her month, like
seeds from her favorite plants, note cards, tokens, etc.
and earn a spot as princess by gaining points from others if
we forget to address her in every post. The games change
weekly, as well, like always using correct spelling in our posts.
If we find an error by one of the players, we dmail the current
princess with the link, and get a point that way. Just for fun!
All the ladies are great fun, silly, supportive and come from
all walks of life. Anyone is welcome to join at any time, can
choose to play or not. It pays to be quick, and the games are
sometimes very challenging for me, as I am on 'slow' dialup.
may princess kathy continue in good health. :-)