Eating in the evening.

[tazcat70]

Ok, I was reading, yes, READING, the Meyer catalog. In one section on feeding, it stated to feed only what your hens will eat by the afternoon, and then do not feed anything else, otherwise they could produce eggs that are too large and become egg bound.

Has anyone heard of this?

For those of you running to look at your catalog, it is on the bottom of page 4 under recommended feed guide for chicks and bantams.

 

[azelgin]

This sounds like it was written by a lawer.

 

[FractalFarmer]

Hmmm..I've been operating under the theory that they should be fed before going to roost at night to help them deal with the cold. Of course, I'm in CA and anything below 40F feels cold to me. I would be very interested if anybody can shed some light on whether they shouldn't be fed in the evenings.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I don't know. When the roo calls the hens in, it is about 1 hour before it gets dark out. I close up the barn and let them eat, drink and do the chicken thing. When I go up after dark they are all roosting and of course I take a shot at the dumb rat that is left. I started calling him Rambo Rat because I can not catch him or manage to get him in my sights.

I put the feeders up and close the doors to the wire mesh stalls.
I look around for stray roosties (usually a polish) and put them up.

In the morning I come in and they are all let out of the stalls (the ones that seem to think they are locked in there,ie silkies) and they come running out for food and water.

I do not know, they seem to be self regulating. I get a few eggs during the day and a few during the morning. They are normal sized eggs.

They have such a routine now, I can not believe my luck. Everyone comes in darn near like clockwork and everyone goes in and out of the barn all day.

 

[rufus]

When we had lots of hens, we would always feed them in the morning before breakfast and again in the evening when we got home from work. Never had a problem, never had a complaint. But our chickens never read the Meyer book.

Rufus

 

[DaveMN]

In the winter i always fill the feeder in the evening. but then again it is a bit cold outside right now - and i don't mean california cold either it is currently -13F (yes below zero) and will probably be close to -20F by morning. inside the coop it will be around zero so that is why i feed in the evening. they need all they can eat to get them through the cold snaps.


btw mine have not been out of the coop since november because the pen has at least a foot of snow in it and i dont expect them out unit april.

 

[PAJerry]

Mine have crumbles available all the time but I give them sprouted wheat very early in the morning before I go to work, then cabbage or other greens when I get home. On really cold days lately, I have given them warm oatmeal about 4:00PM. I've had some really big eggs, but they seem to handle them alright.

 

[jab91864]

I feed in the morning before leaving for work and my son feeds them again late afternoon before dark. It is -4 at the moment and I have always felt they needed extra carbs at evening feed to help keep warm. And as we know chickens always eat when offered ...lol


In the nicer months they free range part of the day but I still give them a ration every morning to start off and usually call them in toward evening with scratch and treats.....

I confess I probably over feed the flock. I will say the majority of my gals lay in the afternoon and a couple of them are later in the day after 4pm.

Julie

 

[tazcat70]

OK, I feed mine in the morning and then I usually given them grains in the evening, especially in the winter, so it looks like I will continue to do that.

Thanks all!!!

 

[banniste]

I am new to keeping chickens...this is what we do...I make sure they have food and water in the morning (water is heated)...and then I give them a treat plate mid-morning before I go to work...it includes salad greens, meal scraps, oatmeal, bananas, old bread spread with peanut butter, etc. They don't like citrus, mushrooms, or asparagus, so far.
let me know if I am giving them bad food! (I also provide laying crumbles for their food.)