My 12 chicks went through about 1 5 lb bag a week for the first 3 weeks. By the time they were 8 weeks old, a 25lb bag would last a few weeks. I feed flock raiser now and spend $18 for a 50lb bag once a month. A 5 lb bag of crushed oyster shell cost $6 and will last about a month. They are all beautiful, healthy birds and the girls are producing great. I have never tried to cut back on how much feed they get. I fill two trough style feeders in the morning and refill them as needed throughout the day. They also have a vacant field next door with many varieties of grasses, my garden, several patches of wild berries, and a few patches of forest to utilize for foraging. Some days, my chickens eat hardly any feed. Other days I have to refill feeders. Limiting feed for chicks or actively laying birds is never a good idea.
