My friend asked me for tips on how to cut costs on chickens. Here are some tips as they came to me. (I am very tired.)
If your chicks were vaxxed for coccidiosis, you should use an unmedicated chick starter. If they were not, you should use the medicated or employ natural methods to prevent it. Coccidiosis kills them fast.
In Zone 7, the two months I have to help my flock is January and February. Usually, they are good the rest of the year, but we have acreage to support a large number of birds.
I allow my flock to free-range, and we throw them scraps from the house.
In spring, we feed them enough egg layer to get them laying good so I will have plenty of eggs for the incubator.
We also grow native minnows in a kiddie pool. I give them some of those in the winter when natural food is more scarce as a protein boost.
I also grow and dry mealworms for protein in the winter months when the plants are dormant.
I give them all of the weeds I pull from my gardens too.
If you know a grocery store produce manager, a convenience store worker, etc, you may be able to get their "throwaway" foods for free.
For calcium, I feed them back some eggshells. I also feed them eggs now and then for a protein boost. You need to crush the shells so they do not look like eggs anymore to discourage them from eating their own eggs.
I dry some wild edibles that I chop and toss to them in the winter months.
A nice large compost heap can help feed your birds too. They go for the worms and bugs that are attracted to it. There is a man on YT who feeds his chickens solely through his massive compost heaps which he uses to make soil to sell.
You can grow fodder for them as well.
Research silage. You can take edible plants and ferment them to make feed for winter.
