Cheapest way to feed free range laying hens?

@digitS' They are production hens, and do eat quite a bit. I don't see 1/2 a lb. per chicken per day as a stretch at all. But could it really be possible that I'm losing 3.5 lbs. per day to birds? They are the only pests in my yard (in broad daylight anyways).
 
Last edited:
Quote:
I think the 1st step is to get or make a feeder. Chickens will usually show some excitement about "new" feed. This is true even if "old" feed is still available underfoot and what is "new" is exactly the same
roll.png
.

What I have done in my feeding of a high-protein feed + treats + garden veggies + backyard foraging is to weigh the feeder when I refill. That way, I know how much the hens are eating each day. I try to not over-load them with treats (scratch counts as a treat).

They are dual-purpose birds (Barred Rock & Australorp) and they can really eat, especially during cold weather. I just make sure that they are eating 1/4 pound of their commercial feed each day and try to adjust everything else to that standard. It is kind of like my mom telling me that I had to "clean my plate" before I could get anything else at the dinner table. I'm just practicing what I have been taught
wink.png
.

Steve
 
I have 25 hens & a roo and go through a bag of feed every two weeks right now. They are not free range but do get lots of garden excess, grass, bugs, worms, kitchen scraps. I would give mine less if they could free range. You are using a lot of feed. Are they spilling at the feeder?
 
We throw weeds and lawn clippings into the run too. I purposely mow my lawn just a bit ( we mow over an acre total) every coupla days. One huge rakeful of grass offsets a bunch of feed I have to buy. Great idea on the store produce extras!! I betcha if you just check the dumpster behind them you would find TONS of veggies, etc. My 50 pullets and cockerals eat about a coffee can of feed a day, based on my refill rate. they get fed in the coop only so there is no sharing with other animals. Oncve a week or so it takess two cans to fill up.
 
Last edited:
I have 4 hens that free range on less ground and eat about 1/3 of the feed you're going through. There has to be mice, birds, something eating it. I throw them a handfull or two of BOSS each day and end up with cast off greens from the local Whole Foods weekly but even that doesn't account for the difference......
 
Last edited:
cracked corn and scratch are not the same thing, but cracked corn is also a treat. I used to feed mine a mix of corn and laying crumbles but I found they actually eat less now that I've taken the corn away. They would only eat the corn and spread the more expensive laying crumbles all over the place.
 
I would get a feeder, chickens are smart creatures but when you throw the food on the ground they can miss a lot of it. What doesn't get eaten by them goes to waste or is eaten by some other animal.
 
cracked corn and scratch are not the same thing, but cracked corn is also a treat. I used to feed mine a mix of corn and laying crumbles but I found they actually eat less now that I've taken the corn away. They would only eat the corn and spread the more expensive laying crumbles all over the place.
welcome-byc.gif
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom