An unexpected feeding problem.

[Molpet]

I'm able to leave the food and water in the coop overnight, so by the time I let them out in the morning they have eaten as much as they want and are ready to roll!

I could leave food and water... and do if no forage is available... but I go through 150 lbs of food a week as it is LOL.. but that is a dz or so turkeys, 5 roos, 30+ hens and they hatched over 50 grow outs

 

[Chickassan]

But yours live in a glass house Dona, anyone with a dark coop wouldn't benefit from leaving food and water. Guess that is a big selling point for well windowed coops if your birds actually get along once they can see each other in the morning.

I'm able to leave the food and water in the coop overnight, so by the time I let them out in the morning they have eaten as much as they want and are ready to roll!

 

[Dona Worry]

But yours live in a glass house Dona, anyone with a dark coop wouldn't benefit from leaving food and water. Guess that is a big selling point for well windowed coops if your birds actually get along once they can see each other in the morning.

Lol! They have a light that goes on at an ungodly hour in the morning as well.
But, regardless, I don't think they eat the most in the morning--they seem to go back to the coop and fill up right before bedtime.

 

[chickens really]

I feed a Grower/Finisher with oyster shell in a separate dish. Free range time daily and Frits and veggies a couple times a week.

 

[Shadrach]

how about reducing the quantity of commercial feed you offer for breakfast, so they forage more to get the requisite exercise & bugs then? and if they like the FF, I don't see why it wouldn't work (esp if your trad bedtime treats were sprinkled on top) to get them out the trees before bed, esp if you didn't offer mid afternoon food too.

I’ve given this a try Perris and so far it seems to be working.
I’ve cut out the afternoon feed. This has encouraged them to forage before roosting time.
Breakfast I’ve kept as it was. It’s hard to assess the morning foraging because its been very wet here and everyone heads for shelter from the rain after breakfast.
Because I can’t leave food down I’ve increased the number of food bowls to try and make sure everyone gets adequately fed; the juniors in particular. This has also sped the morning feeding up considerably which means I’m not standing around waiting for them to eat; I want my breakfast too.
I’ve cut back on the treat food at night. I used to give a bit of a selection but now I’m just adding a small amount of tuna, or cooked meat and table scraps.
I’ll have a better idea if this is a long term solution when it stops raining.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

how about reducing the quantity of commercial feed you offer for breakfast, so they forage more to get... exercise... then?...

A deep bed of litter like dry wheat straw or shredded corn shucks in their coop or run into which you can toss their morning feed and force them to expend energy to hunt for every morsel will result in a goodly amount of exercise for your flock. It is normal and natural for a flock of chickens to noon in the shade while they process their breakfasts. This is part of free ranging.

 

[Shadrach]

A deep bed of litter like dry wheat straw or shredded corn shucks in their coop or run into which you can toss their morning feed and force them to expend energy to hunt for every morsel will result in a goodly amount of exercise for your flock. It is normal and natural for a flock of chickens to noon in the shade while they process their breakfasts. This is part of free ranging.

It would be good idea if they had a run into which I could put food and straw.
Also, tossing mash, or partly fermented food on the ground increases the risk of worms and here, coccidia given how wet it is at the moment.
Normally they have their breakfast and head off to the compost heap just in case there is something particularly disgusting they can peck at.
They didn't tend to head for shade until 10ish when the sun gets to hot.
The problem was with them liking the mash was they didn't do the morning foraging rounds at all; just went and had a nap with a full crop I presume.