Amount of Feed and Water

[Lauren Kim]

Hi, BYC community-
If you couldn't tell, I am a chicken newbie here. So, does anyone have any specific measurements on how much feed and how much water the chickens should be eating every day?

Lauren

 

[PD-Riverman]

I will have to let someone else answer this. I do not measure their water just make sure they got plenty. Young chicks get feed and water 24/7, older chickens are controlled fed----got all they want but try to not allow very much extra i they are wasting it by dumping it on the dirt.

 

[User395221]

Hi Lauren, welcome to the forum and to being a chook carer. What's your specific concern, that they aren't eating/drinking enough, or too much, or are you trying to work out cost? I just make plenty of both available and leave it to my girls to help themselves. That seems to work well. If anybody shows any signs of being unwell, then I'd worry. I have two groups, a group of 5 "big" girls, and some little ones. The big girls get through a bucket feeder of crumble every couple of weeks-ish (they seem to get through quite a bit of it). Their waterers are 15 litres, they get filled every week, but the big girls free range as well, so they drink from other receptacles around and about the place.

Sorry, I haven't really answered your question, I suppose my advice is just to give them plenty and not worry.

 

[Lauren Kim]

Hi Lauren, welcome to the forum and to being a chook carer. What's your specific concern, that they aren't eating/drinking enough, or too much, or are you trying to work out cost? I just make plenty of both available and leave it to my girls to help themselves. That seems to work well. If anybody shows any signs of being unwell, then I'd worry. I have two groups, a group of 5 "big" girls, and some little ones. The big girls get through a bucket feeder of crumble every couple of weeks-ish (they seem to get through quite a bit of it). Their waterers are 15 litres, they get filled every week, but the big girls free range as well, so they drink from other receptacles around and about the place.

Sorry, I haven't really answered your question, I suppose my advice is just to give them plenty and not worry.

No, no, your advice actually helped me a lot! Thank you!

 

[centrarchid]

Drinking water intake can very greatly with feed moisture content and thermal stress birds are under. Birds eating live forages with lots of plants can get by with very little water while those eating a dried feed must drink a lot. Birds that are operating under colder conditions can meet much of their water requirement by scavenging water produced through metabolism. When hot birds use more water for evaporative cooling / panting that can be replaced by drinking.

Birds that have intestinal issues such as worms or cocci infection have trouble retaining water so must ingest more to compensate. Large wounds can also increase need for water.