Chicken feed ratio per bird

[Jrd7788]

I am wondering how much I should be feeding my flock of 10 chickens, 2 ducks , 3 turkeys and 2 guinea fowl. Normally the hens get a quart and a half, the ducks a quart, the 2 adult turkeys a quart, and the quineas and poult get a quart. I noticed that they aren’t as hungry when I feed them later as they are in the mornings. Should I feed them less in the morning so they’ll follow me at night? I also want to know the correct ratio I should feed the birds. Thanks.

 

[Jrd7788]

I am using an all- flock pellet for everything.

 

[imnukensc]

No help here. My birds have feed available 24/7/365.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I pick up my feeders at night but they have them from before sunrise to after dusk.

Is there a reason you are rationing the feed?

 

[jlwquilter]

I don’t know how what/how much you feed them in the morning will effect whether or not they follow you in the evening. They should be eating something (bugs, grass, etc) all day. They may not be as hungry in the evening if they’ve had a successful day scratching.

I have read many many MANY different ways to feed chickens. At the end of it all you try several different ways and see how your flock reacts and make adjustments. There’s no set way to do it ‘right’. What is right is what works for you and your chickens.

If you want to feed twice a day - which it seems you would like to try - then start with 3oz of feed per standard chicken twice a day. Do they eat it all? Right away or over a period of time? How do they look and act? Pick them Up - do they feel
Light or heavy or just right?

Take it all in and make adjustments. See how those adjustments work out. You - and most of us- are shooting to obtain the perfect answer. But the truth I’ve found is that there’s no perfect answer. The answer changes daily! Some days my hens eat like they haven’t seen food in years. A few days later they walk away with hardly eating a thing. I’m No longer freaking out about it - and I used to- I simply make a change for the next feed. I let them tell me what they generally need to eat. I also now leave the FF from the morning out for several hours instead of taking it away after 30 minutes (another way I read to feed chickens). They eat it all well before noon. If I make too much for the evening feed I scrape it up into a bowl and refrigerate it overnight and feed it the next morning.

I’m still experimenting. I’ve been mixing feed lately to make the FF. Part layer feed and part flock raiser to get a combo of higher protein and higher calcium. It’s too soon To see if/how it’s effecting the hens.

Maybe this helps you or maybe it makes it all more confusing!

 

[Steven Bussell]

I give just enough to last a day and a half. This way I can clean it up every another day. My flock of 3 ducklings and 5 chicks use about 5 pounds every two days. We give a couple hand full of meal worms and a treat in the coop at lockdown.

 

[Danny188]

If you look it up on google it says 1/3 of a pound per chicken

Edit is says 1/4 of a pound per chicken which is half a cup per day but it really depends on the breed and if its a meat or layer or if they free rang all day.

 

[Steven Bussell]

If you look it up on google it says 1/3 of a pound per chicken

Edit is says 1/4 of a pound per chicken which is half a cup per day but it really depends on the breed and if its a meat or layer or if they free rang all day.

A 1/4lb is close to what I m averaging..

 

[Jrd7788]

I pick up my feeders at night but they have them from before sunrise to after dusk.

Is there a reason you are rationing the feed?

Yes, I have goats and sheep and dogs out in the pasture, and the chicken coop is always open during the day, so I can’t let the other animals eat the chicken food because they can’t have that or it could make them sick

 

[21hens-incharge]

Yes, I have goats and sheep and dogs out in the pasture, and the chicken coop is always open during the day, so I can’t let the other animals eat the chicken food because they can’t have that or it could make them sick

Makes sense.

I have seen where people with mixed species put the chicken feed in a cage of sorts that just chickens can get into to eat.