Do chickens eat significantly less in the winter?

[Emzyyy]

Are their crops full feeling?

 

[WriterofWords]

Mine eat a lot more in the winter but they also lay more in the winter!

 

[ckbythesea]

My nine-month-old pullets are eating more feed, probably finding more to eat when they fee range, and laying more this winter than before. I do have a light on at dusk for a couple hours in the coop. I am a total newbie but am so impressed with the girls . . . just four of them and it's time to share some eggs with a neighbor, in December. Go figure!

 

[Mahonri]

Mine stop laying in the summer and eat MUCH less.

 

[daisy_dukers]

I have went from from 40lbs of laying crumbles to 80lbs per week since it started getting cold.

25 ISA browns avg'ing 24-25 eggs per day.

They also get kitchen scraps and lately they have been getting 1 mixed icecream pail of brown bread crusts and cabbage thrown in the coop in the morning so I can gather the eggs in peace...

All they seem to do is lay eggs, eat, and poop.

My birds do not like the snow, and the few times one of them goes into the run they spend about 10 seconds outside and head back into the coop.

I supliment light and run a heat bulb 24/7 as it is -40'C with the windchill right now.

I can't wait till spring/summer when the food bill will go back down...

 

[matte]

Never tried it myself, but an old-timer down the road makes a soupy mash with warm water, flock raiser, and dried HOT RED PEPPER! They eat it up like crazy and he swears that the hot red pepper makes them drink more...allowing them to lay more. Worth a try.

 

[ruffles]

Mine 7 RIr's are eating alot. It has been cold and snowy,they get now Blue Seal Layer Pellets, with some corn. Also, a variety of veggies every day.

I noticed in ingredient list blue Seal has probiotics in the feed?? Is this unusual?/ I hav fed Agway, and Ventura, but neither have probiotics in the feed.

I assume it is good, as it is become almost a staple in dog and cat food .

Sandi


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