How much do your chickens eat? :D

I've got 4 SLW's, and a 50# sack of layer feed lasts well over 2 months. They get greens and a couple of handfulls of cracked corn per day, and they free range part of the day (less in winter when it's dark by the time I get home from work.) They aren't laying now, so maybe that's why they haven't been going through it faster. I'll have to seen how much more they go through when they start laying again this spring. We have a Farm and Fleet not too far away that sells the layer mix for about $11 per 50# bag, but if you buy the feed at a pet/feed store it's about $18.

Carol

ALOT!

Can't wait for my girls to start paying rent!!!

My chickens love mashed potatos.

Quote:
thanks Steve, I will lay off the goodies so much and make them eat that crumble. I did forget to mention they get meal worms and crickets at times, and I give them some sort of meat each day, usually chicken, turkey or beef. does this count ? also they get a whole dish of boss each day, maybe to much sunflower seed? I know that boss has # 28 percent fat
# 25 percent fiber
# 15 percent protein
# Calcium
# B vitamins
# Iron
# Vitamin E

Im thinking that there protein is pretty darn good, but I could be wrong?

Karlamaria, it sounds to me like your chickens have a fabulous diet! I would try to discourage you from thinking that you are doing something "wrong" by not feeding them more crumble. If they aren't eating the crumble, it probably means they are prefering the superior quality foods you are providing for them over the crumbles. This is a GOOD thing and not something to fear. Feed mixes are inferior to whole foods in many ways: they are typically of poorer quality ingredients (rancid grains, etc.), other questionable byproducts, and they're pulverized state means they aren't as "filling" as whole foods and pass through the birds quicker. But another way to look at it is that "the proof is in the pudding." If your chickens are seem content, appear healthy in every way, and are laying well, then you're doing something right, whatever the "experts" say!

A Basic formula (well, a basic starting point, anyway) for feeding chickens is to feed a three-way mixture in a roughly even ratio of greens (edible leafy stuff of all kinds--your cabbage, for example), carbs and fruit (this is the calorie portion, represented in your case by the rice and fruit, but also could include cracked corn, for example), and protein (which includes things like your meat and meal worms, as well as your crumbles, or any other source of usable protein). A wide diversity of ingredients within these categories will take care of the issues of trace minerals and vitamins. Having pasture or free-range helps fill in any possible gaps too. You can also provide mineral supplements like oyster shell or what have you free-choice. You can also do one better if you like by fermenting the mixture with beneficial microbes (like EM, IMO, whey, etc) which helps aid digestion and immune system function, and also keeps the feed from spoiling for a few days so you can mix up batches for several days at a time and keep them in a covered container in between feedings.

For more info on this I highly recommend the detailed and inspiring articles by Harvey Ussery--you can search for them on the website at http://www.themodernhomestead.us/. Just enter "feeding" into the search box to bring up a number of gems--specifically "Making Your Own Poultry Feeds (Parts 1 and 2)" I found particularly useful. Also, the Korean Natural Farming methods of chicken feeding could be of interest along these lines...

PM me if you want: I'm always eager to discuss home feeding stories with people and share ideas and experiences. Good luck!

Cheers,
Sky