Am I feeding my girls enough...

[Abrios]

Am I feeding my girls enough, they act like they are starving everytime I come out. I feed them Scratch and Peck brand 18% layer feed. The bag suggests 1/4 cup per bird. I have 14 chickens total. I ferment 4 cups of feed and add 1/3 cup coconut pulp (I make my own coconut milk) and 1/4 cup chia seeds to the mix. I spilt it up and give half in the morning and half in the afternoon. They also get veggie scraps, carrot peels, apple peels, things like that. What do you guys think???

 

[Aunt Angus]

Am I feeding my girls enough, they act like they are starving everytime I come out. I feed them Scratch and Peck brand 18% layer feed. The bag suggests 1/4 cup per bird. I have 14 chickens total. I ferment 4 cups of feed and add 1/3 cup coconut pulp (I make my own coconut milk) and 1/4 cup chia seeds to the mix. I spilt it up and give half in the morning and half in the afternoon. They also get veggie scraps, carrot peels, apple peels, things like that. What do you guys think???

I feed fermented, but they also have free choice feed available 24/7 and a fenced area for foraging. Chickens are great at self-regulating.

Are their weights ok? That will tell you a lot.

 

[sourland]

They need far more feed than that especially if you live in an area that is experiencing cold weather. Free feeding or feeding twice a day as much as they can eat in 20 minutes would be better husbandry.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Unless you're trying to make a go at monetary profit, free feeding is a wonderful way to avoid this stress.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Have you weighed the feed? Chickens typically eat 1/4 POUND of feed each daily, so your flock of 14 birds ought to be receiving 3 1/2 pounds of feed per day. I don't know how much 1/4 cup of your brand of feed weighs, but if it's less than 1/4 pound per 1/4 cup, then they're likely very hungry.
Feeding them twice daily is twice the work for you, but if you prefer to not just feed them their entire ration in the morning (and perhaps just their treats in the afternoon), that's your call.
The treats you're offering, those chia seeds, coconut pulp, peels and such all negatively impact the overall PROTEIN in their diet, so if you're not already, you'll need to limit the 'extras' to 10% or less of their daily intake to ensure that you don't end up with problems down the road.
Chickens always act as if they're starving to death, even FAT chickens act like that. Probably has to do with how their crop works; it's kind of like a storage bag rather than a stomach as digestion takes place further down the pipes.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Chickens always act as if they're starving to death, even FAT chickens act like that.

TRUTH.

 

[Abrios]

They need far more feed than that especially if you live in an area that is experiencing cold weather. Free feeding or feeding twice a day as much as they can eat in 20 minutes would be better husbandry.

Currently where we are it is averaging in the 70's. We are near the Mojave desert.

 

[Abrios]

Have you weighed the feed? Chickens typically eat 1/4 POUND of feed each daily, so your flock of 14 birds ought to be receiving 3 1/2 pounds of feed per day. I don't know how much 1/4 cup of your brand of feed weighs, but if it's less than 1/4 pound per 1/4 cup, then they're likely very hungry.
Feeding them twice daily is twice the work for you, but if you prefer to not just feed them their entire ration in the morning (and perhaps just their treats in the afternoon), that's your call.
The treats you're offering, those chia seeds, coconut pulp, peels and such all negatively impact the overall PROTEIN in their diet, so if you're not already, you'll need to limit the 'extras' to 10% or less of their daily intake to ensure that you don't end up with problems down the road.
Chickens always act as if they're starving to death, even FAT chickens act like that. Probably has to do with how their crop works; it's kind of like a storage bag rather than a stomach as digestion takes place further down the pipes.

Thank you for all the info. Why will the coconut and chia cause problems and what kind of problems are we talking about?

 

[Abrios]

I feed fermented, but they also have free choice feed available 24/7 and a fenced area for foraging. Chickens are great at self-regulating.

Are their weights ok? That will tell you a lot.

Their weight is good and by the end of the day their crops look nice and full.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Their weight is good and by the end of the day their crops look nice and full.

That's good! Of course, if you feed them in the afternoon/evening, their crops will be full.

Is there a reason you aren't offering free choice? Just curious how others manage their flocks.