Feeding my flock

[blshanatic]

What is better, feeding at night when I lock them up in their separate huts or feeding during the day all together and let them graze on it all day?

 

[Troubadour05]

Mine have grain in their feeder constantly I just top it off every morning, when they are out during the day they scratch and peck around all over the place, too. Just my way of doing it.

 

[learycow]

I feed first thing in the morning and again during the day. NEVER at night as it will just sit in their crop all night. (if you don't offer water at night in the coop)

 

[EggsnQuackers]

Ours free feed on grain and in winter they get a scoop of corn at night. Night is also when we top off the feeders.

 

[needlessjunk]

I feed mine in the morning and evening. havent fed mine in the coop since they were 8 weeks or so. I would love to leave it out all day but the dogs get into it. Because it gor cold out I have been feeding them a few times a day to make sure they are getting enough. As soon as it got cold they really picked up their food intake. Before they never are breakfast even though I always put it out and now they finish that off pretty quickly and then some.

 

[Mrs.H]

I also feed in the morning and again in early evening (couple hours before I lock them up)

 

[buff goose guy]

I feed in the morning when i let them out and in the evening right before i put them up

 

[allergymama]

Would it be a problem, do you think, to change when I feed them to something more like what you all are talking about? What I have done so far is to have food and water in the duck run over night (duck run is attached to a shed/duck house) and let them out to forage during the day. With the longer nights and shorter days (and basically, no forage...I'm in Michigan), I thought about moving their feeder out during the day. I also am concerned because there is already a problem with this most recent spat of cold weather that the duck run is turning into an ice slick. Will they adjust to this do you think? How do I keep other critters out of the food? I built one of those feeders from a 5-gallon bucket with a hole in the bottom that I just keep full.

 

[needlessjunk]

Would it be a problem, do you think, to change when I feed them to something more like what you all are talking about? What I have done so far is to have food and water in the duck run over night (duck run is attached to a shed/duck house) and let them out to forage during the day.  With the longer nights and shorter days (and basically, no forage...I'm in Michigan), I thought about moving their feeder out during the day. I also am concerned because there is already a problem with this most recent spat of cold weather that the duck run is turning into an ice slick. Will they adjust to this do you think? How do I keep other critters out of the food? I built one of those feeders from a 5-gallon bucket with a hole in the bottom that I just keep full. 

They will adjust fine. The first day or two they might think they are starving but will figure out that they need to eat when the food is out. As for critters... That may be a problem. I pull up the food after meal times because my dogs will eat it all. I also don't want to feed the squirrels, rats, opossums and other unknown wildlife.

 

[blshanatic]

I am also in Michigan. I have changed from feeding them.in their huts at night to one big pan full of food to graze on during the day. My next question is, they are in huts at night only. I leave for work at 6am and have been letting them out in the mornings. How cold is too cold to let them out? Can they go all day without food or water? I would probably have to feed them in the mornings in the huts now so their water doesnt freeze so quickly. If I do that it is still similar to feeding at night in their huts and food sits in their crop?