11-12 week old chickens eating ALOT of chicken starter

I guess my question really is if switched to a layer feed would they eat less? If not, then I will keep them on starter feed until 18 weeks
They're eating a lot because they're on their growing phase. Do NOT switch to layer at this point - most layer has lower protein (protein is needed for growth) and excess calcium which has the potential to cause organ damage over a long period of time.
 
My 11-12 week old chickens are eating a TON of starter feed.
How much are they eating each day? (Cups or pounds)
Or how long does one bag last? And how much does the bag weigh?

I have 2 white leghorns, 2 Rhode Island reds, and 2 Ameracaunas

For those 6, I might expect them to eat about 1/4 pound each per day, which makes 1.5 pounds total per day. This which would mean 50 pounds lasts about 40 days (slightly over a month).

How many cups of feed per pound varies from one feed to another, but for most chicken foods up to 1 cup per chicken per day could be reasonable. That would make 6 cups per day for your flock of 6.

I'm working with estimates for adult chickens, but they should be close enough to check for obvious mis-matches in how much they should eat vs. how much they do eat.

If they are going through double or more what I just listed, it is almost certain that either they are wasting the feed, or something else is eating the feed too (rats or mice at night, wild birds or squirrels by day, etc.)
 
They're about to go through that teenage stage so they're going to eat alot.
Are you moisting the starter at all?
That helps it stretch out a little longer and it seems to make it less attractive to birds and mice.
It is a heck of alot more difficult to just flip out and waste too.
I do this with all my birds, I figure at the very least it's extra hydration.:)
 

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