Feeding animals is one of the biggest ongoing costs on a homestead—but it doesn’t have to break the bank. Whether you’re raising chickens, ducks, goats, or rabbits, there are smart, sustainable ways to cut feed costs without compromising your animals’ health. In fact, many of these tips can even improve their diets and overall well-being!
Here are 10 tried-and-true ways to save money on animal feed while keeping your flock or herd happy and healthy.
1. Ferment Your Feed
Fermenting feed is one of the easiest ways to stretch your feed budget. By soaking grains or pellets in water for 24-48 hours, you increase nutrient absorption and feed efficiency. Fermented feed is easier to digest and packed with beneficial probiotics—so your animals get more out of less.
2. Let Them Free-Range (When Safe)
Allowing chickens, ducks, and even pigs to free-range gives them access to bugs, grass, seeds, and other natural snacks. This can significantly reduce how much feed you need to provide, especially in the warmer months. Plus, your animals will love the enrichment and variety.
3. Grow Your Own Fodder
Growing sprouted grains like barley, wheat, or oats is a great way to produce fresh green feed—cheaply! Fodder systems are simple to set up and require minimal space. A few trays can produce pounds of nutrient-rich feed daily, perfect for supplementing your animals’ diet.
4. Feed Kitchen and Garden Scraps
Don’t toss those veggie trimmings or stale bread—feed them to your animals! Chickens, ducks, and pigs especially love leftovers. Just make sure the scraps are safe (no moldy or salty foods) and you’re reducing waste and your feed bill in one go.
5. Mix Your Own Feed
Buying bulk grains and mixing your own custom feed can save money over pre-mixed bags. It also allows you to tailor your mix to your animals’ specific needs. You’ll want to do some research, but it can be worth the effort for long-term savings.
6. Plant a “Feed Garden”
Grow crops specifically to feed your animals—think sunflowers (for seeds), pumpkins (for both flesh and seeds), kale, and comfrey. These are nutrient-dense, easy to grow, and your animals will gobble them up!
7. Buy in Bulk and Split with Friends
Many feed stores offer discounts on bulk purchases. Team up with fellow homesteaders to split large orders—saving you money and reducing trips to the store. Some co-ops even allow group ordering of grains or supplements.
8. Raise Insects for Protein
Mealworms and black soldier fly larvae are excellent protein sources for chickens and other poultry. You can raise them with very little space and feed them scraps. It’s a nearly free protein supplement your birds will love.
9. Minimize Waste
A lot of feed is lost to spillage, wet weather, or pests. Use feeders that reduce waste, store feed in sealed containers, and only offer what your animals can finish in a day. Small changes here can make a big dent in your feed bill over time.
10. Cull or Sell Extra Animals
As hard as it can be, feeding animals that aren’t producing (or that your homestead can’t support) eats into your budget. Consider selling extra roosters, older hens, or unproductive animals. This frees up resources and gives you more wiggle room to care for the animals that are pulling their weight.
Final Thoughts
Saving money on animal feed doesn’t mean cutting corners—it’s about being smart, resourceful, and using what you have. Many of these strategies will not only reduce your costs but improve your animals’ health, too.
So get creative, think outside the feed bag, and remember: a well-fed homestead doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
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