Do my chickens eat a lot, or am I feeding rats?

[Nanili]

How many cups of food should 9 laying chickens, who don't free range, eat per day? I am trying to figure out if my ladies are eating quite a lot, or if we are feeding the rats. I was thinking of trying to just feed in the morning instead of leaving a feeder in the coop, but not sure how much to give them. The breeds I have are barred rock, australorp, buff orpington, red star, wyandotte, brahma, and 3 easter eggers. They are 27 weeks and laying about 5-6 eggs/day.

 

[Melky]

Roughly they should be eating about 10 -15 lbs per week rounded up. Generally speaking each bird would eat about 1.09-1.5 lbs per week. If you have 1/2 inch wire or cloth in theory other animals should not get to feed. I leave feeders in the run space. I’m amazed at how much feed my girls now eat at 13 weeks but they are eating appropriate to feed charts. If let out in am and free range may eat less and return at night especially if good foragers.

 

[The Phantom]

My flock of 18 hens (half bantam) eat 2 quarts of food a day.

 

[Naser]

Google the breeds you have, I had buff orpingtons and red stars, and they aren't very food efficient birds. hens need to have food 24/7, they don't eat more than they need of layers pellets.

 

[Melky]

How many cups of food should 9 laying chickens, who don't free range, eat per day? I am trying to figure out if my ladies are eating quite a lot, or if we are feeding the rats. I was thinking of trying to just feed in the morning instead of leaving a feeder in the coop, but not sure how much to give them. The breeds I have are barred rock, australorp, buff orpington, red star, wyandotte, brahma, and 3 easter eggers. They are 27 weeks and laying about 5-6 eggs/day.

If they are laying well with good shells probably doing fine? How much feed do you go through? I wouldn’t restrict food during the day. My girls go up at night and do not have food in their hut but will have free access once in the run during the day or out foraging.

 

[Ra_]

If rodents are feasting on your feed, you should be able to detect their droppings in or around the feed bowl.

 

[Nanili]

We seem to be going through a 50lb bag of feed every 3 weeks give or take.

 

[Melky]

Well look for other droppings in the area. If you don’t have any. You could be going through that much if they waste any on the ground and if you dump some old out every time you clean and fill the feeders. Max would be about 45 lbs in three weeks.

 

[flyin-lowe]

We seem to be going through a 50lb bag of feed every 3 weeks give or take.

Thats about what I was going through with 9 hens. What type of feeder do you use? I started with one of the generic bucket type feeders at first and they were flipping more out etc. then they were eating. It held 7 pounds and I was filling it every day. I changed to a 5 gallon bucket feeder where they don't flip all the food out and it will hold 20-22 pounds and it will last a couple weeks.

 

[Melky]

Thats about what I was going through with 9 hens. What type of feeder do you use? I started with one of the generic bucket type feeders at first and they were flipping more out etc. then they were eating. It held 7 pounds and I was filling it every day. I changed to a 5 gallon bucket feeder where they don't flip all the food out and it will hold 20-22 pounds and it will last a couple weeks.

I use the small flock fountain feeders but they can flip a little bit of feed out as well. My hens will scratch and peck it off the ground. I was looking for new hanging ones like the pvc feeders from rugged ranch or royal chicken for food and possibly hooking in a peck and drip line for the waterers from a rain barrel to clean up and diminish waste. I haven’t made the switch yet.