Hello! And a bit of advice please..?

J

jayling

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Hi all,

We started keeping hens at the end of Jan..just wanted a few to run round the garden looking pretty and lay some eggs (you know how it is) ..started with 6 and now we have about 30 LOL (with some more ex-batts due soon as well!! 0:-) )

Anyway, we seem to be going through layers pellets at a rate of knots so was wondering if anyone knows where we can get BIG bags of food from? The 20kg bags are lasting 10-14 days at the moment and when the 6 chicks are grown and the ex-batts arrive think the bill will be quite high! Would prefer non-GM (currently using BOCM and smallholders range) or organic if its possible to get it at a reasonable price.

We live in the Fylde so Lancashire/Manchester based places preferred.

Thanks in advance ;)
 
Hi,I don't actually know of suppliers in your area,but,you could try contacting the manufacturers direct,and seeing if they would supply you.Also,my local feed merchant will deliver bulk chicken food(still in 20kg sacks)if I have an account with them,you may find where you currently buy from will deliver in bulk.
 
I think the biggest bags you'll find are 25kgs and not many make them.

BOCM should deliver but would probbaly want you to take a ton at a time in which case it should be cheaper.

You need rat proof storage or a big delivery will be false economy !

Feed prices are frightening at the moment and unlikely to come down. Shopping around can save a bit but if you have to go further to get it , it cancels out any saving.
 
I've heard some people feed their hens straights (oats, barley & wheat) with maize & micronized peas (obviously with grit & oyster shell too). It may work out cheaper, but again you'd need plenty of vermin-proof storage. I can't comment as to whether it's cheaper in the long term, the same as layers pellets nutritionally or what quantities/ratios you'd need of each "ingredient" as never fed my hens that way, but it may be worth looking into.
 
Why do you need so many hens? One way to cut down on feed prices would be to reduce the numbers you keep, and cancel the plans for the extra ex-batts. If you had fewer, they'd each have more room (they need a minimum of 4 square metres of ranging per hen, preferably more) and you'd be able to give the, more individual attention. Unless you've got a commercial outlet for the eggs, what's the point of trying to keep so many? Not much fun in the winter, when all those drinkers freeze up twice a day, or when the rain never seems to stop!
 
Thanks for all the replies. How strange they dont do bigger bags...how do commercial poutlry keepers manage..?

Marigold, we dont 'need' any hens but we started off wanting a few (4-6) hens running round the garden so got some hybrids and a couple of ex- batts. And they took ages to start laying (prob only about 4-6 weeks really, but it felt like ages at the time!!) so we got some that were already laying ..then we saw some really pretty ones which I wanted to buy and the other half wanted some more hybrids with good egg production..and then we saw the really tatty ex-batts and wanted to help them so we got some of our friends to sponser them for to cover (virtually) the cost of buying them and getting another house for them..and hey presto..a lot of hens!! ;)

I agree its a bit daft to have so many but they're fab to watch in the garden-which is plenty big enough for them to go roaming in. And we did an 'egg' poll before we got the second lot of hybrids and reckoned that we could easily sell 150 eggs/week to our friends...demand is far out stripping supply at the moment but we are at max capacity now!
 
The big units have it loose and it's pumped into a large container.

If you can get a cheaper supply of wheat, you can give more wheat and mix it up to 50/50 with the pellets. You might get a few less eggs but the birds will be fine.
 
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