Fodder feeding Chickens – Scenario 1

I’ve read on numerous posts that you can feed 25-30 full sized chickens using 1 tray of fodder (i.e. 6#) per day.

If this is true that is the equivalent of feeding them for $0.48 per day.  This is based on my cost of $22.00 per bucket for 45#’s of seed.  1# of seed = 6# of fodder.  Or a per pound fodder cost of $0.08.

Now, let’s say I hatch out 25 chicks.  Let’s also say that I purchase 1 – 50# bag of chick feed for approximately $15.00 to get the chicks started.  Let’s also say that during their first 2 weeks of life that I introduce them slowly to fodder and by 4 weeks old that is the majority of what they are eating.  Using this scenario they will not have gone through much at all of that 50# bag, but let’s say they’ve gone through 1/2 of it.

It’s hard to estimate how much fodder they will consume at such a young age, but let’s assume that they are eating 1/3 of a tray (or 2#’s) at 4 weeks old.  We will increase that amount by 1/2# per week until they are up to 6#’s total.

  • Week 1 – Chick feed
  • Week 2 – Chick feed + fodder
  • Week 3 – Chick feed +  1# fodder per day – 7#
  • Week 4 – Chick feed + 2# fodder per day – 14#
  • Week 5 – 2.5# fodder per day – 17.5#
  • Week 6 – 3# fodder per day – 21#
  • Week 7 – 3.5# fodder per day – 24.5#
  • Week 8 – 4# fodder per day – 28#
  • Week 9 – 4.5# fodder per day – 31.5#
  • Week 10 – 5# fodder per day – 35#
  • Week 11 – 5.5# fodder per day – 38.5#
  • Week 12 thru Week 16 – 6# fodder per day – 30# per week for 5 weeks = 150#’s

Approximately 25#’s of chick feed ($15.00 divided by 2) for $7.50

Approximately 367#’s of fodder for $29.36.

Grand total $36.86

Estimating 3# of meat per chicken for 25 chickens that’s a per pound cost of $0.49!

Even if we just estimate one tray of fodder per week from weeks 4-16 that would be the equivalent of 42# per week for 13 weeks or a total of 546#’s.  That would still only be a cost of $43.68 plus the $15.00 for chick feed for a total of $58.68.  Assuming 3# of meat per chicken that’s 75#’s of meat.  For a per pound cost of $0.78!

Hmmm … wonder what it would take to feed out some cornish cross chickens using fodder!  LOL :)