Can Chickens Overeat Feed?

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I have to limit my chickens’ feed because I have one that actually does overeat. She has had crop issues multiple times. i also feed soaked mash in the early evening, and I noticed this particular bird will wolf down food, then turn away (I think when she is full), but then start running from plate to plate to try and finish all the leftovers. She is an exception to the rule I think, but I definitely have to watch her.
So now I feed twice a day, with a snack in between.

That's good to know! I'll be on the lookout for exceptions too. They all seem like vacuum cleaners to me!

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

What do you do while you supervise? Watch, obviously, but do you call them back periodically or anything like that? Is it only to chase off predators or do you also keep then in a certain area or out of certain areas?

I only have a little over an acre, bordered by a country road, a yard with aggressive dogs in an invisible fence, and another yard full of other chickens. So I'm pretty helicopter-like in my approach (some of girls seem to have death wishes and head right towards the dogs, or try to go start beef with the other chicken faction lol). I casually walk around with them, keeping them more or less together. I use it as an excuse to stretch my legs and get fresh air, plus, I find their antics highly entertaining (and seeing them happy is the best!). I also use it as time to get a sense of how they're all doing. Sometimes I'll have my first cup of coffee while I walk around with them, or I'll have my evening glass of wine. Often if I sit down somewhere they'll cluster around me and won't go far. Other times I do chores in the yard where I can still keep an eye on them.

When its near time to bring them in I start guiding them towards the run, and shake a can or scratch or oats to get them to head in. Usually one or two of my rogue girls I'll have to fetch by hand.

 

[Rodrad]

Thank you, I'm blushing on behalf of my chickens! The rooster is a bantam salmon faverolle, and yes, he is a huge sweetheart to both his chickens and humans. He's also a source of nonstop entertainment and antics. In general, salmon faverolles (bantam and standard) are known to have calm, docile temperaments and are often recommended for those with small children. There are always exceptions, but I only have good things to say.

For example, he's always looking for treats for his ladies. Even if I give him one, he drops it and calls them over. One of my hens isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and often gets lost from the others when free ranging. She'll make this forlorn cry and he'll go running to her, find her, and escort her back to the others. He's also a great guard and alert system.

View attachment 2609012
View attachment 2609013
View attachment 2609016
View attachment 2609017

Thank you for a very nice reply.

If we don’t get one rooster (by accident ) out of our 10 pullets I will try to buy one like yours (possibly can get him as a little chick but my hens would be already in the coop, possibly 3-4 months old by the time I determine that we don’t have a rooster). Do you know any good source for a such chickens/rooster?

I thought that a bantam chickens are small, your rooster seems rather a large one.

Wow, how nice open range you have for your chickens, with beautiful blooming plant, possibly red camelia(?).

Would the chickens bother plants in your nice raised beds?

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

Thank you for a very nice reply.

If we don’t get one rooster (by accident ) out of our 10 pullets I will try to buy one like yours (possibly can get him as a little chick but my hens would be already in the coop, possibly 3-4 months old by the time I determine that we don’t have a rooster). Do you know any good source for a such chickens/rooster?

I thought that a bantam chickens are small, your rooster seems rather a large one.

Wow, how nice open range you have for your chickens, with beautiful blooming plant, possibly red camelia(?).

Would the chickens bother plants in your nice raised beds?

Unfortunately I do not know of a source--I happened upon my roo because someone local happened to have one too many. She had gotten him from a reputable breeder, but not sure of the name. My rooster can fit in one hand but is as big as my smallest hen (a wiry EE)--he's little but fluffy!

I do believe that's a camelia. Our yard is about an acre, and I supervise when free ranging since beyond that acre is a road, lots of dogs, and woods filled with foxes. My rooster helps me keep the girls together and rounded up. And because I'm with them I can chase them out of my beds I'd they're getting destructive!

My rooster may sadly be up for grabs. I love him and he's an amazing companion to humans and chickens, but is crowing a bit too much for my husband. It's his first spring so I'm hoping he gets a bit quieter as the weather warms, but I'm aware this is unlikely. Fingers crossed!

Thank you for a very nice reply.

If we don’t get one rooster (by accident ) out of our 10 pullets I will try to buy one like yours (possibly can get him as a little chick but my hens would be already in the coop, possibly 3-4 months old by the time I determine that we don’t have a rooster). Do you know any good source for a such chickens/rooster?

I thought that a bantam chickens are small, your rooster seems rather a large one.

Wow, how nice open range you have for your chickens, with beautiful blooming plant, possibly red camelia(?).

Would the chickens bother plants in your nice raised beds?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

For most of my chickens, no. However, my CornishX exhibited behaviors that would have lead them to an early grave. When I had the J-style tube feeders, they would stay there all day, leaving only to drink water, before returning to keep eating. Had to change my management practices, they were bulking up too fast for their body growth to support - a known problem with that hybrid. Basically they never moved except to eat and drink. That's not healthy behavior for much of anything.

Have had no similar issues with any of my other breeds, hybrids, or mutts (current flock in Sig, below)

 

[gtaus]

Just wondering (as I watch the girls stuff themselves on their winter bedtime mash): can chickens eat too much feed? Are they like goldfish with no instinctual limit?

I read somewhere that if you leave feed out 24/7 for your chickens, they will only eat what they need and stop. If you limit their feed to once or twice a day, you train them to gorge themselves as much as they can because they don't know when the next meal will come. I don't know if that is true, but I leave my hanging feeder out 24/7 and I never see more than 1 or 2 chickens eating at a time. But I also have a chicken run compost system and the chickens would rather scratch and peck for food in there all day then to go to the feeder.

I think the exception is to that rule is the CornishX meat chickens which will eat until they cannot move. But they are a Frankenchicken bred to eat, put on weight, and be harvested at about 8 weeks.

As mentioned, chickens won't eat at night. If you have a mouse or rat problem, then I would not leave out the feed 24/7. I don't have that problem with my hanging feeder.