We grow dent corn and popcorn and beets to supplement the feed costs for our chickens. I spend on average $6 a month on feed for the chickens.
$12 a month for the rabbits, and supplement with leafy greens.
The sheep I spend around $12 a month on, supplementing with leafy greens. dent corn and popcorn.
The cows are the expensive part of it all. I spend around $20 a month on treats for milking. I spend an average $1500 a year in hay. That's with the 12 heads. I would be paying more if I hadn't made a deal with a local farmer for his premium hay. Agreeing to buy out his entire stock of bales, ensures that it isn't stuck there to rot and he is guaranteed a sale. We managed to get it for a little more than half price this way.
Starting this year, we will be selling lambs and beef. 1 cow will pay for the years worth of hay. The Lambs will pay for everything else.
We spend as of right now, $1980 a year on feed, however we get 5 gallons a milk a day, and about a dozen eggs. This year will will have 750 lbs of beef, and who knows how much lamb and rabbit. We did the math before, will have to ask husband again, but we are saving money. Now time and physical labor are another story.
3 comments:
It is hard work, Phelan, I know - but it is nice that you are able to pay your feed bills with a cow and get the milk, eggs and meat for the family too.
Definitely money saving!
For me, the savings and quality make up for the time spent. I envy your homestead!
Wow, that cheap feed costs on your chickens. We're spending $50 + a month on feed( grain, sunflower seeds, molasses and kelp)our chickens and turkeys. Of course that is certified organic grain.Everything around our area is GMO crops, so purchasing direct from the farmers is not an option at this point.*sigh* We do use our own Indian corn in their feed, so that helps. We also suppliment them with kitchen scraps and garden root crops and such. We have approx. 65 chickens( way to many) and we plan to downsize, just waiting for a break in our cold weather.
We spent $450 on hay this last summer and we'll have plenty leftover, to help cut costs this summer. We typically harvest one good cutting of hay off our back pasture too( yielding us approx. 2 ton of hay)
Time and labor is what we term as a Giveme, we do it because we benefit, mak some $$ and know where our food comes from and how it was treated :o)
Blessings for your week,
Kelle
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