Feeding chickens cheaply?

[Linerax]

What strategy is there to feed the chickens at the lowest expense? I have a silo, but wildgrass does not grow fast enough for the free hay. I guess I could grow my own grass. But what about winter that is when crops die?

[FerroBorne]

place a grass starter on your farm, and a lighting rod on top of it, it will prevent the chickens ( or other animals ) from eating that area and the grass still growing on your farm at the same time. i suggest 2 grass starters for 1 animal.

[Smidge204]

If you let your chickens out, they will eat the wild grass naturally. If you ahve a patch of grass large enough that it grows at least as fast as the chickens eat it, well, unlimited free grass! A large enough patch will let you harvest a little hay from time to time to fill your silo for the winter, and cover for rainy days when the chickens won't come outside.

If you create a fenced in area with grass in it (this is what the Grass Starter is for) you can just leave your coop door open. Just remember to keep your fence in good repair and close the gate behind you!

[NotThatHarkness]

You use the free hay you get from the grass to feed animals in the winter. In the first year I don't spend any money on animal feed. I let the grass grow all over the farm and make sure to regularly cut it back to fill the silos. I also clear out the logs and rocks fairly quickly so there's room for the grass to grow.

In following years I sow 100 or so grass in my fenced area for the animals on the first day of spring and that's enough for the year to feed them. Other grass will spawn on other parts of the farm, and I let that grow all year and replenish the silos by thinning that grass out from time to time.

[Nakos]

A: Build at least one more Silo.

B: have you converted your entire farm to crops? Or are there areas that lie fallow?

Let the grass grow around your farm. Cut it "badly" occasionally. If you clear it completely, it'll take a long time to regrow. If you just "trim" it occasionally it'll regrow quickly.

[Linerax]

Originally posted by TreyNutz:

You use the free hay you get from the grass to feed animals in the winter. In the first year I don't spend any money on animal feed. I let the grass grow all over the farm and make sure to regularly cut it back to fill the silos. I also clear out the logs and rocks fairly quickly so there's room for the grass to grow.

In following years I sow 100 or so grass in my fenced area for the animals on the first day of spring and that's enough for the year to feed them. Other grass will spawn on other parts of the farm, and I let that grow all year and replenish the silos by thinning that grass out from time to time.

I did notice I gained more wild grass than I need.

Originally posted by Nakos:

A: Build at least one more Silo.

B: have you converted your entire farm to crops? Or are there areas that lie fallow?

Let the grass grow around your farm. Cut it "badly" occasionally. If you clear it completely, it'll take a long time to regrow. If you just "trim" it occasionally it'll regrow quickly.

Ah, should have read this earlier.

[Just Another Sandwich]

Originally posted by Nakos:

A: Build at least one more Silo.

B: have you converted your entire farm to crops? Or are there areas that lie fallow?

Let the grass grow around your farm. Cut it "badly" occasionally. If you clear it completely, it'll take a long time to regrow. If you just "trim" it occasionally it'll regrow quickly.

Don't build another silo if you are stingy with your money and resources. Instead empty out all the hay via the hay hopper in your coop, then store it in a chest somewhere. It usually takes me 20-30 in game minutes to do this, if my silo is full. With this technique, you, effectively, only need one silo on your farm.

[NotThatHarkness]

Originally posted by Ｄ☢ｕｇｈｎｕｔboi:

Originally posted by Nakos:

A: Build at least one more Silo.

B: have you converted your entire farm to crops? Or are there areas that lie fallow?

Let the grass grow around your farm. Cut it "badly" occasionally. If you clear it completely, it'll take a long time to regrow. If you just "trim" it occasionally it'll regrow quickly.

Don't build another silo if you are stingy with your money and resources. Instead empty out all the hay via the hay hopper in your coop, then store it in a chest somewhere. It usually takes me 20-30 in game minutes to do this, if my silo is full. With this technique, you, effectively, only need one silo on your farm.

That only works if you have empty space on the feeding trough. If the feeding trough if filled, or if you have the auto feed upgrades, you cannot remove hay from the hopper.

[Linerax]

Originally posted by TreyNutz:

Originally posted by Ｄ☢ｕｇｈｎｕｔboi:

Don't build another silo if you are stingy with your money and resources. Instead empty out all the hay via the hay hopper in your coop, then store it in a chest somewhere. It usually takes me 20-30 in game minutes to do this, if my silo is full. With this technique, you, effectively, only need one silo on your farm.

That only works if you have empty space on the feeding trough. If the feeding trough if filled, or if you have the auto feed upgrades, you cannot remove hay from the hopper.

Another silo is not a problem for me. The resources needed to build one is fine.