If you have to buy bags of grain, you aren't prepared. True prepper livestock management requires "input independence."
In a grid-down scenario, your animals are targets for both four-legged and two-legged predators. Prepper’s Livestock Handbook
Professional vet care may not be available. You must stock a "Livestock Med-Kit": Blue-Kote (antiseptic), Bag Balm, and Iodine. If you have to buy bags of grain, you aren't prepared
Use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire (which raccoons can tear). Install solar-powered electric fencing as a primary deterrent. Build a "grub tub" to convert food waste
Build a "grub tub" to convert food waste into high-protein larvae for your chickens. 4. Veterinary Self-Reliance
Unbeatable for turning kitchen scraps and forest mast into fat and protein. 2. Infrastructure and Security
Invest in high-quality butchery tools (cones, skinning knives, saws) and learn how to preserve meat via smoking, salting, or pressure canning.