chicken feed

[lynda66]

i have found out, that pets at home now do chicken feed, £4.99 for 5kg or £6.99 for organic ..... that solves my problems of food costing a fortune cos of postage (we haven't any feed suppliers nearby) so off to get some later

[MaureenHall]

That's really expensive Lynda, I pay £5.50 for 20kg. Think your son better bring somebody with a car and take you to a farm shop or feed supplier.

[Flummery]

I think it's a rip off too. There's a place locally that sells stuff at £7 per 20kg and I still think that's dear. However, our nearest dealer that does the cheaper stuff is half an hour's drive away so we'll probably settle for the £7 stuff.

[lynda66]

yeah, the problem i have is that i can't actually find anywhere to get it from, theres no feed merchants anywhere near, so i seem to be reduced to getting it online, so by the time i've paid a fiver for the delivery it works out even more expensive and even if sons friend comes in the car, by the time i've given him petrol money, (the nearest i can find is at least 20 miles away) ...... it'll actually work out cheaper going to pets at home ..... it's very annoying.

but at least the babies won't starve to death, while i'm still hunting

[Hilary B]

It's not worth buying chick crumbs in big bags unless you are hatching them by the hundred. Once they are onto grower's/layer's you really need to buy 20/25kg bags. There must be some supplier who sells the proper size bags not too far away! Wouldn't BHWT know where your nearest supplier is?

[lynda66]

i know there is one near Wigan, and one the other side of Rochdale ...... it's bloody annoying, i hadn't thought of asking them, but i've searched online, and yellow pages, and there is just nothing i can find anywhere near ...... but once they move onto big chicken food, and go outside i'll get a few bags delivered, so the delivery charge won't seem so bad, just haven't got anywhere to store loads of sacks till the chicken house is done, gonna put storage containers in the shed.

[Snadger]

Chicken food has a fairly short shelf life Lynda (2 or 3 months) so it's best not to buy too much at once.
Luckily we have a grain merchant about five miles away. Before I found out where they were I was buying stuff from Jolleyes which is nearer but dearer!
I have just bought 4 X 20Kg bags of Farmgate layers pellets for £4.95 a bag. Probably the cheapest in the country, but not sure! This should hopefully last me to the new year.
A bit of mixed corn with grit keeps the chooks warm on these cold nights also.
I have fourteen chooks and a 20Kg bag of mixed corn (approx £7) has lasted me about three months just fed sparingly before they go to bed.
My most recent chooks were 14 weeks old when I got them but still prefer the mixed corn to either chick crumbs or layers pellets.

[Glutton4...]

Hey Linda, forgive me if I'm being stoooooooooooopid but are there many horsey folk near you? We're not all rolling in dosh, in fact we're quite a tight lot of sods, but most feed stockists hold (or can get) any kind of feed - it's all made by the same small group of companies. My local manufacturer, Bailey's Horse Feeds also trades as 'Fancy Feeds' and sells chicken feed under this label - the 'Girls' haven't complained yet.

But I've only had them a day.

I'm also on my second glass of vino collapso, so may be missing the point...

Gotta go now, grub up!

[frias]

Blimey Snadger, £4.95 is brill. I pay £8.50 and I have to go 10 miles to get that.

[Glutton4...]

OK, forget my drivel - I paid about seven and a half quid for a bag from my local stockist!

[lynda66]

lol, the 2 nearest are horse feed places ...... had no luck at all looking for just poultry feed suppliers

[Bephlam]

you should get it at horse feed suppliers! That's where I buy mine. I wouldn't buy from pets at home - that's a pure rip off!!!!

Even with postage you'd be better getting offline - £7 for 5kg is £35 per 25kg...and we all pay on average £7 for 25kg. Unless you're rolling in it I think it's more cost effective to give someone a tenner to drive you the 20 miles to the place you can buy a 25kg bag. Even with the petrol (or postage) it's £18 of a saving (give and take!).

Say no to pets at home!! Everything they sell is soooooo expensive!!!

[MaureenHall]

If I'm ever in your area I'll bring you a couple of sacks in exchange for a cuppa and a tour round your new chook house

[shirlthegirl43]

Blimey Snadger, I paid six quid summodd for my 20kg of Farmgate pellets and that was from the local farmer's co-op!!!

[lynda66]

If I'm ever in your area I'll bring you a couple of sacks in exchange for a cuppa and a tour round your new chook house

sounds like a damned good plan to me ..... well, as they are due on friday, and pets at home is near, i'm gonna go and get a bag, cos it's convenient and up the road ....... problem is my tame pet driver works till 5 every night, and saturdays, so i'll have to get him to take me one sunday ...... to be honest, i'm more bothered about them not having food, than the cost right now, but will have to find somewhere for shavings and straw too, so no option really but to do a £40 mile+ round trip, or order for delivery ..... i'll get there eventually lol.