Always hungry

[Sneaky Chicken]

I feed my flock fermented feed in the morning and at night and always provide them with other things like fruits, greens, superworms, veggies, oats, birdseed, and occasionally tuna but its like they can never get enough. As soon as I walk out my back door, they are under my feet, hoping for treats. Does this mean Im just not feeding them enough or are they just greedy. They range ALL day, so they must be eating grass and bugs, as well. I know Im not supposed to rely on that, which is why I always give them a bunch of treats.

They will even come out of the coop after theyve just gone to the coop to go to sleep for the night bc they think I have food.

 

[redsoxs]

Unsure how much you feed them but here's a link where how much food to give is discussed https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/595651/how-much-food
Wonder if they are really hungry or just really like the extra goodies you are giving them??

 

[Sneaky Chicken]

Unsure how much you feed them but here's a link where how much food to give is discussed https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/595651/how-much-food
Wonder if they are really hungry or just really like the extra goodies you are giving them??

Thank you for the link!

I dont measure anything, I just fill a couple plates full of fermented feed and put in in the yard and on the deck. I only have 8 chickens, 3 are only about 3 months old and the other 5 are about 4.5 months old.

Because I do fermented feed, I imagine the measurements are different than regular feed but I cant seem to find the amount ANYWHERE!

 

[balloonflower]

Mine are the same way. I have seven, about 8 months old and get 5-6 eggs a day on average. They get ff always available, though with winter coming I'll have to limit somewhat to avoid freezing. They have half my yard to scratch around in. And yet anytime I open the door, they come running to mooch and beg for treats, acting like they're ravenous.

I ferment mostly a 20% layer crumble, with some boss, oats, scratch, or other fun stuff mixed in. Because it's what works for me, I do small batches and just have 3-4 buckets going on a rotation. In a day, they eat about a quart of thick ferment, maybe a bit more now that there isn't as much growing outside. I don't measure, but would guess that about 2cups of crumble, plus less than a cup other plus water. I ferment slightly runny, then add more crumble to thicken before feeding.