Are my hens starving?

[tjcib]

I have 4 RIR hybrid hens. They are just over a year old and I got them from a much larger farm flock.

They are in my fenced back yard with free range of about 1/4 acre. The area is heavily wooded, so grass isn't there. There are some weeds, but mostly english ivy (which they don't eat) and tree saplings and other scrubby things. Their best finds are bugs (lots) under the leaves (that we never rake/clear). But I don't think they get tons of green.

We normally throw out three handfuls of crumbles in the morning and three more in the late afternoon. We throw out egg-shell once a day. Water available 24/7. Occasional kitchen scraps, but it great moderation.

Today, they were super snippy with each other at the afternoon crumble time. Super defensive of their food! Like, everyone was pecking everyone, not just a "pecking order" thing. It was more vicious than normal too. They were pecking and biting and holding on. A few feathers flew as well.

I'm wondering if I should have crumble available 24/7 since they don't get a ton of greens from the yard.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd have a feeder available during daylight hours. Take it in at night or put it away (a metal trashcan is a great option) so you don't attract pests.

 

[Timothy Menezes]

Yea definitely sounds like they need more access to food, I would just leave it out all day.

 

[Folly's place]

These hens need their chicken feed (all flock might be best) and oyster shell available all the time, or at least during daylight hours. There's no way that they can eek out a good living as you are doing it! Eating stuff outside is great, but no substitute for a balanced ration.
Mary

 

[21hens-incharge]

I agree feed needs to be available all day and put away at night.

 

[123RedBeard]

The "average" chicken will eat about 1/4 pound of feed per day ... each ...

Sounds like they are hungry to me.

 

[AmyJane725]

The stuff they're scavenging from your yard probably isn't nutritionally balanced either. Definitely get them on a nutritious feed and give them unlimited access all day.

 

[tjcib]

Thanks all.

They've been laying fine (24 eggs in a week from 4 hens), so I didn't think much about their diet being off. But that behavior was a cue. Certainly don't want them stressed as the hot months come.

I have an old feeder and will get it out today.

 

[paneubert]

Thanks all.

They've been laying fine (24 eggs in a week from 4 hens), so I didn't think much about their diet being off. But that behavior was a cue. Certainly don't want them stressed as the hot months come.

I have an old feeder and will get it out today.

It would be interesting to have you report back to us after a week or two about how much feed they ended up consuming from the feeder. Accounting for any spillage/mess they make of course. And assuming you remove it at night to limit any mice/rats consuming any of it. Might be fun to see just how close to "fed" they were by their foraging. Or I guess on the negative side, just how lacking their foraging was.

 

[Kiki]

The "average" chicken will eat about 1/4 pound of feed per day ... each ...

Sounds like they are hungry to me.

This.


I've weighed three types of commercial feed and I've come to the conclusion that a chicken should eat right at about 3/4 of a measuring cup of feed per day.
Measure your 6 handfuls of feed and see where it stacks up.