➡I accidentally bought Balut eggs: 2 live ducks! Now a Chat Thread!

[Glitterchicks]

Yes!

Aaaand I am no longer an adult. I am 12.

 

[Glitterchicks]

[

You're going through more feed than I'd expect but that doesn't mean your chickens are eating it. I've never had an issue with a chicken over-eating feed. I have had issues with rodents and even an opossum that was visiting the feeder.

I live in a fully fenced subdivision and absolutely no outsiders get into my yard.
They are eating it all. I forgot to add that they also eat my cat's food. I caught them doing that the other day.

 

[Kiki]

This might be a really ridiculous question but I'm just going to go for it. Is it possible that I'm overfeeding my chickens? They have free reign of my entire backyard and then I keep their feeder full at all times, plus treats every other day (sometimes more, sometimes less). I ask because when I was at my mom's house the other day, her chickens looked much smaller than mine. Hers are not free ranging.

I have 2 standards, my giant brahma and two bantams. I go through a 50 lb bag every 3 weeks or so.

Yes it is possible. I'd cut back on the treats.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wow, I had no idea that it snowed for so long and Wyoming! I'm in Idaho and it's about to be 80°!

80!? I thought I saw somewhere Idaho gets snow late too? Must only be certain parts??

My heart hurts!! Oh my, they are so cute! It's taking all of my self-control to not go out and pick a few up from the Hatchery right now but I just can't! Do you name them? Of course you do, right? Just send a couple to me for a few days and I will send them back, okay? Thanks.

Do it!! So worth it!! They are amazing!! I almost bought some 75% off chicks at the feed store last week too but refrained LOL and yes I name them!! Have not come up with any yet though! My bigs are all named though lol and I would but I’d be afraid you wouldn’t send them back!

Yes!

Really!? Learn something new every day lol

This might be a really ridiculous question but I'm just going to go for it. Is it possible that I'm overfeeding my chickens? They have free reign of my entire backyard and then I keep their feeder full at all times, plus treats every other day (sometimes more, sometimes less). I ask because when I was at my mom's house the other day, her chickens looked much smaller than mine. Hers are not free ranging.

I have 2 standards, my giant brahma and two bantams. I go through a 50 lb bag every 3 weeks or so.

Brahmas eat a lot of food!! Bet if you didn’t have her, you’d go through a lot less feed lol but keeping the bowl full isn’t a problem, they’re supposed to have feed available at all times. But that said, I would maybe cut back on the treats. They should be 10% or less of the diet.

[

You're going through more feed than I'd expect but that doesn't mean your chickens are eating it. I've never had an issue with a chicken over-eating feed. I have had issues with rodents and even an opossum that was visiting the feeder.

True. I had a raccoon that was eating mine. Literally sat outside the fence, reached through the chain link stuffing his fat face. HUGE coon. But I put hardware cloth up so he can’t do that anymore. He wasn’t even scared of us or the bright light shining on him.

Aaaand I am no longer an adult. I am 12.

I live in a fully fenced subdivision and absolutely no outsiders get into my yard.
They are eating it all. I forgot to add that they also eat my cat's food. I caught them doing that the other day.
View attachment 1759488

You would be surprised what can get in and what lives even in suburban areas!! And I would try to make the cat’s food inaccessible if you can!! But if they free range, get treats, steal cat food, etc., and you only have 5, you should probably not be going through that much food. Unless your yard doesn’t have many bugs and things to eat? But you could have something eating their food and you wouldn’t even know it. Could be anything from a rat, mouse, raccoon, skunk, possum, snake, squirrel, chipmunk. But Brahmas eat a lot too so that could be part of it. Also if hers are different breeds that could be it too.

Yes it is possible. I'd cut back on the treats.

X2

 

[R2elk]

Wow, I had no idea that it snowed for so long and Wyoming! I'm in Idaho and it's about to be 80°!

I got 1 1/2" of snow during the night to go with the 2 1/4" from yesterday. It was 20°F Monday morning, 27°F this morning and is 40°F now. It is supposed to be warmer tomorrow.

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

My professor gave me one question back in credit “because I was able to finish the exam”.

I’ll take one question over none though.

 

[debid]

@Glitterchicks
I have a Brahma hen. She is not petite. She has 7 standard hen pals. I go through a sack a month, at the most, and they aren't getting cat food or daily ranging. When we went on vacation and my helper said she'd had to refill feeders, I knew there was a problem. So, when I got home, I shined a flashlight around 10pm and there were multiple mice in the coop. I'd be very surprised if you aren't feeding a bunch of vermin.

 

[ShrekDawg]

@Glitterchicks
I have a Brahma hen. She is not petite. She has 7 standard hen pals. I go through a sack a month, at the most, and they aren't getting cat food or daily ranging. When we went on vacation and my helper said she'd had to refill feeders, I knew there was a problem. So, when I got home, I shined a flashlight around 10pm and there were multiple mice in the coop. I'd be very surprised if you aren't feeding a bunch of vermin.

X2. You wouldn’t even know if you were because they are very sneaky.

 

[R2elk]

I live in a fully fenced subdivision and absolutely no outsiders get into my yard.
They are eating it all. I forgot to add that they also eat my cat's food. I caught them doing that the other day.
View attachment 1759488

Song birds can also go through lots of chicken feed. I went through a period where a 50 lb. sack of feed that would normally last 3 weeks was suddenly being gone through in 1 to 3 days. The culprits were starlings. I went down one night with a pellet pistol and cleaned out 83 starlings that one night. After a couple of weeks of eliminating starlings, the feed usage returned to normal.

 

[Glitterchicks]

@Glitterchicks
I have a Brahma hen. She is not petite. She has 7 standard hen pals. I go through a sack a month, at the most, and they aren't getting cat food or daily ranging. When we went on vacation and my helper said she'd had to refill feeders, I knew there was a problem. So, when I got home, I shined a flashlight around 10pm and there were multiple mice in the coop. I'd be very surprised if you aren't feeding a bunch of vermin.

Shoot, I didn't even think about mice!! We don't have any opossums or rats here and raccoons don't really come around this area at all- if there were, I'd hear ALLLL about it because my neighbors are so flipping fussy. Mice, however, are a possibility, but my cats are hunters and are on high alert...i can't even remember the last time I saw a mouse around here! They wouldn't be able to get into the run if I closed it at night, but I usually leave it open. Will try closing it at night and see what happens.