How do YOU feed your birds??

[Hedgeland Farms]

Sooo question is in the title.

I have had my flock for a yr. Started a second flock this yr.

My first flock are all a mix different breed layers. I usually feed all flock in 2 5 gallon buckets with ports. Free feed as they are in a run.

However, they eat the heck outta it.

I have 17 birds in that coop and I put in a 50lb bag of meat bird crumble 2 days ago(extra protein as it appears like some may be molting...) and it's pretty well and gone.


(Normally I feel like I fill the buckets abt every 4 days or so)

My second coop of 10wk Olds has 34 birds in it... and they eat 2 of the small feeders (the normal plastic ones you see that can hang) full in 1.5 days. Does this seem normal??

I thought abt feeding them morning and night....and taking away the option to free feed....

Both groups are in a run...they do NOT free range. Taking away their main source of food throughout the day seems slightly neglectful

2nd coop has a graze box for grass.

Am I just overfeeding?? Or does this sound abt normal??

 

[ReelFaster]

Hard for me to say, not that experience however I will ask if its possible something else is getting into the run at night and eating some of the feed?

I noticed I was going through feed much quicker than normal. I put up a trail cam and saw I had a coon getting into the run and eating the feed. I moved the feed into the coop and then buttoned up the run area with hardware cloth so it couldn't get in any longer. I am still not not convinced it's gone, but nothing on the cam just yet. The hens are are safe at night with a locking coop door for now.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Hard for me to say, not that experience however I will ask if its possible something else is getting into the run at night and eating some of the feed?

I noticed I was going through feed much quicker than normal. I put up a trail cam and saw I had a coon getting into the run and eating the feed. I moved the feed into the coop and then buttoned up the run area with hardware cloth so it couldn't get in any longer. I still not not convinced it's gone, but nothing on the cam just yet. The hens are are safe at night with a locking coop door for now.

I have cameras up and see nothing on them.
They are fenced in hardwire cloth and I see no entry points in any of it...


I'll keep a closer eye out...

Thanks for the suggestion

 

[carlaashdown]

I'm also thinking something else might be getting in and eating the feed. I have 15 adult hens in one coop, and they go through a 50lb bag of feed in about 2ish weeks. Mine do not free range either, so the feeder is their only food source. 2 days is too quick.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

I'm also thinking something else might be getting in and eating the feed. I have 15 adult hens in one coop, and they go through a 50lb bag of feed in about 2ish weeks. Mine do not free range either, so the feeder is their only food source. 2 days is too quick.

I won't lie, they seem to eat the S@#t outta the meat bird crumble. Every time I put it in there they FLY (no pun intended) through it...

But even still we are close to 50lbs for 4 days...with 17 birds....


Imma pay some close attention in the upcoming nights

 

[U_Stormcrow]

That is a crazy amount of feed in a few days. How certain can you be that other critters aren't eating it? In theory, 50# should last 10 days to two weeks for your flock size

 

[aart]

I have cameras up and see nothing on them.

Put the cameras right on the feeders.

Are they dragging the feed out of the feeders onto the ground?

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Put the cameras right on the feeders.

Are they dragging the feed out of the feeders onto the ground?

No feed coming out of the feeders.

I'll move the cameras

 

[Al Gerhart]

A quarter pound of feed per day is about all a normal size chicken can eat or 17 pounds for 17 birds in four days. You are nearly feeding three times that. A fifty pound bag of feed ought to last at least 12 days.

You say the run is covered in hardware cloth, no chance of rodents or wild birds getting to the feed?

At that rate you will pay for a treadle feeder in a few weeks.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

So I've been noting the intake a bit more closely.

The Chicken Chalet (34 birds all around 12wks) had 2 of the plastic, what I consider normal feeders with the separated sections at the bottom. It took them 2.5 days to empty both.

The Hen Hut (17 1 yo birds) is on day 4 and still has food left (although I forgot to check them tonight I did check them this morning)

For the Hen Hut, i think they truly love the crap outta that meat bird crumble. The first time I gave it to them they did the same thing. I wouldn't think that they'd over eat and they don't seem to over eat the all flock pellets at all... (still waiting to see EXACTLY how long between refills)

For the Chicken Chalet I can't tell if we are on target or not.

Pic of feeders