Am i feeding enough

[Princess Lay- A]

I have 6 (7 week) chicks, I ferment 1+ 3/4 cups of food in quart mason jar. I feed them 2 mason jars a day which they finish by the afternoon . They free range during the day. Should I be feeding them more of the fermented food being that they finish it all by the afternoon or are they getting enough with the free ranging? How do i know if they're hungry?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you aren't sure, they likely need more. Chickens are voracious eaters and will eat something when the crop is empty. I would rather that something be a complete feed. Growing chicks especially shouldn't be limited. They need all the nutrition they desire.

 

[Altairsky]

When they finish their food, just give them more ordinary chick feed. Fermented food is an option, not a requirement.

 

[K0k0shka]

They should have some sort of feed available at all times, even if they free range, just to make sure they are getting enough. They'll often load up just before going to bed. There's still a lot of time between the afternoon and bedtime, so if yours run out of food by the afternoon, then they likely aren't getting enough.

 

[Perris]

How do i know if they're hungry?

They eat if they are hungry; they don't if they are satisfied. The tricky part is working out what exactly they are hungry for, if they are hungry.

They have one dominant appetite, for protein. They can make protein out of carbohydrates if necessary, but that requires them to overconsume carbs in the process. And meanwhile too much protein is not good for long term health. So the easiest and safest way to ensure that your birds are getting what they need on the protein / carbohydrate matrix is to supply appropriate foods separately, so they can choose individually whether to fill up on high protein food or high carb food. Try putting out a bowl of meat or fish or insects or dairy alongside the fermented feed; how they consume that will indicate whether and to what extent they are each hitting their protein target.

They might alternatively or additionally be hungry for a micronutrient or two (vitamins and minerals) but that would probably be met by the animal/ fish/ insect/ dairy you offer in addition to their regular ff.

 

[Al Gerhart]

They eat if they are hungry; they don't if they are satisfied. The tricky part is working out what exactly they are hungry for, if they are hungry.

They have one dominant appetite, for protein. They can make protein out of carbohydrates if necessary, but that requires them to overconsume carbs in the process. And meanwhile too much protein is not good for long term health. So the easiest and safest way to ensure that your birds are getting what they need on the protein / carbohydrate matrix is to supply appropriate foods separately, so they can choose individually whether to fill up on high protein food or high carb food. Try putting out a bowl of meat or fish or insects or dairy alongside the fermented feed; how they consume that will indicate whether and to what extent they are each hitting their protein target.

They might alternatively or additionally be hungry for a micronutrient or two (vitamins and minerals) but that would probably be met by the animal/ fish/ insect/ dairy you offer in addition to their regular ff.

Well said, very well said.

 

[Perris]

Thank you.