Feed always available or do you feed them?

[mochicken]

Do all of you have auto feeders that make food available at all times or do you use auto feeders? I have auto feeders and they clean that sucker out fast, since I started letting them free range during the day they have not been quite as bad but 16 young chicks ( 6-10 week olds ) can DEFINITELY eat lol. I just wondered if you all gave them a set amount of food or do you just let your poults and young roos eat from an auto feeder till they decide they are full?

 

[ghillie]

We have food & water available at all times both in the coop & run.......joe

 

[leadwolf1]

same here...

 

[ninabeast]

Feed and water in coop always, water in run always.

 

[Nicole01]

Dh built a nice auto feeder that another BYC member designed. It's been working out perfect and we add the whole 50 pound bag of feed. The girls have access to the feed 24/7. I personally think we've gone through less feed due to ZERO waste. Before he built this feeder, I was noticing a very good amount of wasted feed on the coop floor that I'd be throwing away. We have 8 pullets and buy a 50# bag of non medicated starter feed every 3-4 weeks. The younger ones are not old enough for layer yet.

 

[anderson8505]

Food and water available always and they free range all day.

 

[Cooperkeeper]

Well our coop is finally done and my 10 7 week olds spent their first night out. We have a pvc feeder in coop and waterers hanging both in coop and outside in run. Should I worry these newbies won't find their way back in to coop to eat their starter mix?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Depends on what management system you adopt. There's more than one way to skin a cat, as they say.
Personally, I feed twice a day. Heavy in am and a little lighter in the late afternoon. We have ground squirrels, mice, etc to contend with and this system helps us a lot.
Never found a feeder yet that if the chickens can use it, so can the critters.

 

[toysmom]

I keep feed and water in the coop all the time and the chickens free range during the day..

 

[leepshin]

Food and water available always and they free range all day.