Can you overfeed your chickens

[sashurlow]

So we emptied out our fridge and the hens got some bread and rice. Is it possible to OVER feed your hens?
Scott

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

My chickens self-regulate their intake, BUT,

they will eat and eat and eat their favorite thing. And not eat a balanced diet. Bread is one of their favorite treats.

I don't think their protein intake would be enough if I let them just eat as much bread as they wanted.

I read once that if you were to dissect chicken crops, you would find each chicken crop filled with just that chicken's favorite food, if they were given a choice of various foods.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh- I forgot to mention that I do mix my own feed, and do give them a varied choice of grains. I choose not to worry about it. I also do as you do, and empty out all the slightly stale leftovers (not moldy or rotten though) for the chickens. I don't worry about quantity.

 

[matthewschickens]

Quote:
I agree

 

[Ariel301]

If you mean, can you feed them too much and they get overweight? Yes.

I feed mine leftovers out of the house on a daily basis, but it is mixed with other foods too, so they get a good variety. I don't feed them on a packaged complete diet like most people do, it's a mix of "people food" free-range/"pasture" (actually bucketloads of grass clippings from my garden, grass doesn't grow in my yard), spent brewer's grains, and cracked corn. I have a long trough feeder that I keep full just about all the time, it will get empty during the night/early morning because I don't hand out breakfast until almost noon, but it's a buffet all day long.

 

[CarolAnn]

I've given mine lettuce and other produce if/when it starts to wilt or dry in either of my frig's. I have an extra frig in our shed and I sometimes forget about a head of lettuce or cukes and they go to the chickens. Right now I'm clearing stuff out of my upright freezer so I can defrost it. Corn on the cobb that's freezer burnt and hamburger buns have been an absolute hit so far. They'll eat the cobbs too when I leave them out there long enough. Surprising how much scrap produce I threw out before I got my chicks. Now I happily tote it across the yard and toss it in their yard and watch them go at it.

These are some of the simple pleasures chickens have brought into my life. ~sigh~