Reducing your chicken feed costs can help make keeping a backyard flock more affordable. From preventing feed waste and keeping rodents out of storage containers to choosing the right ration, these seven practical tips can help you manage feeding expenses without compromising your chickens’ nutrition or egg production.

Key Takeaways

• Prevent feed waste by using well-designed feeders and cleaning up spilled feed.
• Store chicken feed in secure, rodent-resistant containers to protect it from pests and moisture.
• Let chickens forage on pasture when practical, but continue providing a nutritionally complete feed.
• Offer grains, sprouted seeds and garden produce in moderation so treats don’t replace balanced feed.
• Compare feed prices and nutritional value to find an economical option that meets your flock’s needs.

#1 Reduce Chicken Feed Waste

Chickens can waste a surprising amount of feed by scratching it out of feeders or scattering it on the ground. That wasted feed adds to your chicken feed cost and can attract rodents and other pests. Feed left on damp ground can also spoil or develop mold.

Start by choosing a feeder that limits scratching and spillage. Adjust its height to suit your flock, and avoid filling it so high that chickens can easily toss feed over the edges. Clean up spilled feed regularly, especially in wet weather.

Some flock owners prefer to offer measured meals in the morning and evening rather than leave feed out all day. This approach can help monitor consumption and reduce waste, provided every bird gets enough feed. If you use scheduled feedings, supply adequate portions and avoid restricting access to a complete ration.

Tip: Check feeders daily for spills, damage and leftover feed. Reducing waste is one of the simplest ways to make your chicken feed budget go further.

#2 Let Chickens Forage on Pasture

One of the best ways to reduce chicken feed costs, also happens to be one of the best ways to ensure they receive the nutrients they need to live healthy, productive lives. Chickens raised on pasture consume less commercial feed per day than those confined to the coop or dirt run.

Chicken tractors are a great resource for pastured flocks, as they offer some protection from predators while allowing chickens the same health benefits of free-ranging. Chicken tractors are also beneficial for confining the flock, so you don’t have to worry about your flock wandering over to the neighbors or onto the road.

Tip: For best results, avoid overcrowding a chicken tractor and move it every day or two to ensure your flock always has access to fresh greens.

#3 Store Chicken Feed to Keep Rodents Out

Rats and mice can be a huge contributor to chicken feed costs, as these opportunistic rodents can squeeze through small openings to get a bite of chicken feed. Once they find a feed source, rodents reproduce quickly and can cost a backyard flock owner a great deal of money on chicken feed.

The good news is, you don’t have to be a victim. Storing your flock’s feed in a galvanized trash can with a tight-fitting lid is a good way to keep rodents out of the feed and stop wasting money feeding your unwanted visitors.

Tip: Cleaning up spilled feed, picking up the feeder after the morning and evening feedings, and emptying its contents are also helpful to deterring rodents from visiting your coop.

#4 Offer Grains in Moderation

Adding beneficial grains such as wheat and oats to your flock’s diet is a good way to supplement their diet in winter and help reduce chicken feed costs. The added grains help to keep a chicken warmer as their bodies have to work harder to digest the hard kernels.

Healthy grains help promote good health in the flock by providing essential nutrients and vitamins and can also help encourage a more natural lifestyle.

Tip: When supplementing your flock’s diet with grains, be sure to offer grains only during the evening meal. Keep grains restricted to ten percent or less of your flock’s daily diet to prevent obesity and nutritional deficiency.

#5 Grow Sprouted Grains for Chicken Treats

Offering your flock sprouted grains is another good and nutritious way to reduce chicken feed costs. Sprouted grains are a wonderful source of vitamins and minerals and also help to improve a chicken’s ability to digest protein properly.

Sprouting sunflower seeds, wheat and barley kernels, and oat groats during the winter months can also help reduce behavior problems in the flock, by offering cooped up chickens a tasty mental stimulation.

Tip: Sprouted seeds can grow mold easily, so be sure to check them for mold every time before offering some to your chickens. Never offer your flock moldy sprouted grains or other moldy food.

#6 Grow Garden Treats for Chickens

During the summer months, growing a chicken vegetable garden (or sharing some of your own harvest with your flock) is another resourceful way to reduce chicken feed costs. Squashes, peas, bell peppers, salad greens, and herbs all contain many health benefits for poultry and can even help decrease the risks of certain diseases.

When offering your flock goodies from the garden, be careful not to let them overindulge. Keep garden treats limited to ten percent of the flock’s daily diet.

Tip: Avoid offering your flock eggplant, rhubarb, and potatoes, as these vegetables are toxic to chickens and if consumed, cause severe digestive upset and death.

#7 Choose Cost-Effective Chicken Feed

Another good way to reduce chicken feed costs is to choose the feed that fits your needs. Choosing an age-appropriate feed is a good place to start, but it might not be enough.

Selecting the cheapest available feed may seem like a great money-saver, but a low-quality feed can often cost you more money in the long run. Chickens eat until their nutritional needs have been met, so your flock may consume more of a lesser quality feed than they would something with higher nutrients.

This doesn’t mean that you need to choose the most expensive feed available, but finding a high-quality feed that works well for your flock is essential for a productive, healthy flock.

Tip: Although it may be tempting to cut feed costs by purchasing whatever feed brand is on sale, keeping your chickens consistently on the same food brand is essential for your flock’s overall health.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much feed does an average laying hen eat?

An average laying hen eats roughly 1/4 pound of feed per day, although consumption varies with breed, body size, weather and egg production. That’s about 1.75 pounds per week. Monitor your flock’s consumption and keep a complete layer ration available to meet its nutritional needs.

How can I reduce chicken feed costs without lowering egg production?

Reduce feed waste, store feed properly, prevent rodents from accessing it, and compare prices for nutritionally appropriate feeds. Pasture and garden produce can supplement a hen’s diet, but they shouldn’t replace the balanced nutrition needed for egg production.

Is buying chicken feed in bulk always cheaper?

Buying a larger bag may lower the cost per pound, but it isn’t always the most economical choice. Consider your flock’s size, how quickly it consumes feed and whether you can store the feed in a cool, dry, pest-resistant location. Smaller bags may offer better value if bulk feed deteriorates before you can use it.

Are sprouted grains healthy for chickens?

Sprouted grains can be offered as an occasional supplement, but they aren’t a substitute for complete poultry feed. Keep sprouting equipment clean, watch for mold and discard any questionable batch. Supplemental foods should make up only a small portion of the daily diet.

Final Thoughts

Managing your chicken feed cost starts with preventing waste, protecting stored feed and choosing a ration that meets your flock’s nutritional needs. Foraging, grains, sprouted seeds and garden produce can provide variety, but a complete feed should remain the foundation of your chickens’ diet. With careful storage, sensible feeding practices and thoughtful purchasing, you can control expenses while supporting a healthy flock and consistent egg production.

This article about ways to reduce your chicken feed costs was written for Hobby Farms and Chickens magazines. Click here to subscribe.