Feed Egg Ratio

[Stephen518]

I have keep very good records for the past month and I have determined that I am getting ONE egg for every 4.3 oz of feed that is consumed. This takes both their normal feed and the sunflower seeds I give them as a treat into account. Everything is weighed on a digital scale and tracked using Excel. Anyway, my question is, what is NORMAL? Am I feeding them too much or not enough? My average egg count is 8.7 eggs per day from 12 hens. They get an average of 2.5 hours a day to free range on the farm. I only let them out when I know I can watch what is going on.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[kathyinmo]

I currently use 50 pounds of feed a DAY, and am gathering less than 2 dozen eggs daily.

 

[Stephen518]

You need a new flock. But seriously, how many hens and how old are they? Is there a place where I can find out what a normal feed to egg ratio would be?

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I don't know where to find a normal feed to egg ratio.

Many of my birds are just finishing molting. That and the decreased light = fewer eggs.
How many hens do I have? Heck if I know.

I try not to count. I have 17 coops-pens, and several brooders.
Simply..... I have way too many!

 

[brownhousefarm]

I have 10 golden comets and they go through about 100# a month so 100#/30 days= 3 1/3 # a day or 1/3 # per chicken per day. I get 9 to 10 eggs per day, but once and a while I will get 8 eggs (very rare). If I get a day with only 8 eggs, I go looking for stress factors and I will make sure none of the girls are sick. If everything is good I chaulk it up to pecking order business causing some stress and let it work out. I sell my eggs so I watch closely their feed intake and production. According to the hubbard feeding guide, light weight laying hens should eat 6# per 20 hens per day. I don't use hubbard feed but I use the info as a guide. So I would say it takes me about 1/3# or 5.33oz of feed per egg. Hope this makes sense. I am currently experimenting with ways of storing grass clippings over the winter for a vitamin source to duplicate grazing when snow is on the ground. If anyone has any other ideas I'm open.

I should also say my hens were purchased in may of this year. and started laying in August.

 

[3scorpios]

Quote:
What kind/brand of feed are you giving your chickens? Sounds like they are laying well with a 90% success rate. That's what our chickens are doing right now.

 

[homesteadapps]

Some of it depends on the breed but for pure egg layers figure 5-6 ounces of feed per day for egg layers.

 

[Pele]

Quote:
I have had a lot of luck with dried alfalfa with my girls. The egg yolks remain high quality all winter, and my girls love to get dried blocks of it as treats.

 

[gvilledh]

Do the hens start eating more once they start laying? I co-own a small flock with a friend and they don't eat nearly that much a day. They are 23 weeks now and look like they will probably start laying in the next few weeks. Their combs and wattles are really starting to come in and the Cuckoo Maran is really red now. We also have a couple of SLWs and Buff Orpingtons and an Ameraucana.

 

[idaduck]

When looking at how much feed you use and how much it cost there are alot of factors to look at. The breed of chicken(size mainly) type of feed, how much free range, and time of year.
The bigger the chicken the more they will eat.
I found I went though less feed if I feed them pellets vs crumbles.
I use less feed when they free range all day compaired to keeping them in a pen. I have a 1/2 acre for them to use.
Now that it is fall-winter I use more feed because there is less to free range on. Less bugs and stuff.

I recently kept track of my feed used to see how we were doing. I used 4 #50 bags of layer pellets in 23 days for 39 chickens ( 15 not laying yet but should any day now) and 5 ducks. I decided I need a cheaper source of feed. So I found a mill and bought some wheat screenings and cracked corn. It cost half of what the pellets cost. I will keep track and see how this works.