Is it possible to over feed your chickens?

[phishintrip007]

Ssia really but I have 4 chickens and I'm going through a 50 lb. bag of feed every month. They have a coop with a run and I let them out in the yard on weekends and sometimes for an hour or so after work. I throw any weeds in there for them to eat and they probably get a handful of treats once or twice a week (mealworms usually). I just wonder if I need to feed them a specific amount or is ok to just keep filling the feeder every time it's empty.

On another note, I want to do fermented feed as I have read they poop less and it's better for them. Can I do that with pellets? Wouldn't it just turn to mush?

 

[realsis]

I'm not sure but I think fermenting feed is for grains like organic feed. I always thought it is done with grains but I'm not 100% sure as I don't know much about fermenting. What I have read on it always involved whole grains like the kind you get from organic feed. Are your birds over weight? If not it should be fine to feed what your feeding. If they are over weight id cut back a bit. But only if they are over weight. If they are at a good weight then that amount should be fine. It is possible to over feed. Your birds would be over weight if this was the case. Hope this helps and best wishes to you and your flock.

 

[subhanalah]

You add only a certain amount of water, you don't want it slushy and watery. More like dryish oatmeal.

Cuts down on food waste. I just ferment the commercial feed.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

I don't think it is possible to overfeed birds. They have a crop that has only limited capacity and unlike humans they stop when the crop is full. That is why most chicken keepers keep their feed bins filled 24/7.

My guess is that you have uninvited guests who appreciate a free meal. Mice, rats, chipmunk, squirrels? I don't know what you setup is but you may want to check into that. The rodents are doing any harm, except to your wallet.

 

[realsis]

I disagree respectfully. If birds are over fed they become overweight.and when birds are over weight many health problems can occur.they may become very fat and unhealthy.it that aspect of over feeding. Their crops do have a limited capacity this is true but over feeding to the point of them becoming fat is very possible as well. I've seen necropsy of very fat birds and it's not a pretty sight. With fat deposits around the organs and in areas that should not have so much fat deposits. So speaking in that concept I believe it is possible to over feed to the point that the bird becomes very unhealthy and fat. However if the birds are at a good weight then I would not cut back on the feed. But if they are over weight and fat it might be beneficial to their health and well being to cut back a bit. All depending on the weight of the bird. So yes you CAN make a bird too fat.in that aspect. But if they are a good weight, I would NOT cut back on their feed.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

But the poster said he was giving them normal feed with occasional treats and was concerned they were eating too much of the feed. This is not possible.

I agree that you can make your chickens fat if you feed them high calory treats like scratch or mealworms on a very frequent basis. This was not what the OP was talking about. I maintain that they will get fat because they are eating the other stuff in stead of their normal rations, not because they are eating too much. It is physically impossible.

 

[wholehearted]

50 lbs per month does seem a little high for four chickens. What kind of chickens do you have and how old are they? Is there a lot of feed waste or any possibility that rodents are getting into the feed? What kind of feeders do you use?

Before starting with fermented feed, I always just kept the feeders available at all times. The chickens seemed to self-regulate their own consumption. I typically figure about 1/4 to 1/3 lb average per day per adult bird when I have a variety of large and small breeds. Of course, it is on the high end in winter and lower in summer when they have more access to the yard.

 

[TheEggCollecter]

I disagree respectfully. If birds are over fed they become overweight.and when birds are over weight many health problems can occur.they may become very fat and unhealthy.it that aspect of over feeding. Their crops do have a limited capacity this is true but over feeding to the point of them becoming fat is very possible as well. I've seen necropsy of very fat birds and it's not a pretty sight. With fat deposits around the organs and in areas that should not have so much fat deposits. So speaking in that concept I believe it is possible to over feed to the point that the bird becomes very unhealthy and fat. However if the birds are at a good weight then I would not cut back on the feed. But if they are over weight and fat it might be beneficial to their health and well being to cut back a bit. All depending on the weight of the bird. So yes you CAN make a bird too fat.in that aspect. But if they are a good weight, I would NOT cut back on their feed.

yea this is true. Chickens can get over weight. Although, if they don't look it and are not acting lethargic I would say that there is nothing to worry about.

 

[phishintrip007]

My chickens are two Rhode Island reds and two barred rocks. They are about 20 weeks. The pen and run are completely covered in hardware cloth including the bottom. The coop has double latches on everything and the hardware cloth on the bottom wrap around the corners between the pen and the coop. If I had rodents they surely would be eating the spilled feed on the outside of the cage. I have seen one spot where a dog (or more likely a coyote) tried to dig under the pen one night.

The 50lb bag may have lasted 5 weeks and I try and just keep the feeders full. Just seems like every time I turn around, I'm needing to order another bag of feed. This may be normal but I just wanted to make sure that I don't need to regulate the feed and that the chickens will stop eating when they are full vs. some animals that will eat until they make themselves sick. I try not to give them treats but once a week but they usually get them more than that just cause my 3yo loves to help. Even then though it's a handful of mealworms and that's it.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It seems something is getting to the feed besides your birds. Rats, chipmunks and squirrels are the likely candidates. Can they climb over the hardwire? The only other possibilities I can think of is worms or grit. It's a little hard to find a tapeworm cyst because it wont be in all the poo only a few per day. If chickens don't have access to grit they will consume more feed too as they can't break it down in crop so need more feed for nutrients.

Wholehearted was exactly right with 1/4-1/3 pound per day for each bird. 50/(4*1/3)=38 days or 5.4 weeks. If your feed is only lasting a month then one of the above possibilities is at play, if you are indeed getting a few days more than 5 weeks that's on the high end but in normal range of feed intake.