With the cost of everything increasing, I'm trying to figure out how to spend less on feed. We started out buying 40 pound sacks of Chicken Scratch for $6 each for the last five years. Now it's $10 each, and I believe it will continue to increase. The price has been jumping every other month for the last year!!! Same thing with the 13% that we give to our horses. It want from $6 for a 40 pound sack a year ago, to $11 today.
A friend on FB mentioned that he buys bulk feed for is cattle, but it's gotten so high that he's considering getting out of cattle. It wasn't just the feed, but fertilizer and everything else involved in raising cattle has become so bad that there isn't a way to break even anymore.
I still want to try to raise goats and chickens. I've been paying too much for feed, and the more animals that I get, the more it is costing me. From what I'm seeing online, the savings is there if I buy in bulk. I've never done this. I've never even been to a place that sells in bulk. My only experience is 40 pound sacks.
First, I have no idea what to buy. I'll probably rely on what they recommend to start, and work from there.
Second, I have no idea what the best way is to get it. I've read that they fill barrels, totes and trailers.
How do you get it from what it's loaded in, to the animals? A full barrel will need the tractor to get it off of the trailer or back of my truck. I have pallets, so that's doable. But then what? Same thing with a tote. I'd probably put it on a pallet when getting it filled, but then what?
I've seen some pictures of trailers that have augers, but I never seen one in person. I'm assuming that I would need a grain bin type of thing if I did the trailer method. And that I would need a bin for each type of food. More money.
Has anybody done this? Is it really cheaper to buy in bulk?
