Feed Question 2

[southpaw2022]

I have read that chickens can eat between 1/4 and 1/3 a lb of feed per day.... hmmm seems to be a lot.... thoughts on that??

Secondly.... How do you longtime chicken rasiers feed your chickens if you don't just free roam them in the garden..? Do you feed a few cans of feed once a day twice day? Do you have a feed trough that you just fill and let them eat til there hearts are content and bellies are full??

Do they feather peck less if they are eating more??


Thanks for the answers...
I told you people that lots of questions would be coming...

 

[speckledhen]

I leave the feeders full 24/7. If they eat on range all day, then they eat less feed, but I allow them to regulate their feed, not me. I have 2 of those big galvanized feeders in the layers coop and just fill as needed for my 35+ birds.

 

[southpaw2022]

Quote:
No worries about them getting overweight? I heard that can be bad for them.

I am thinking about designing out of wood a feeder trough that is partially covered for coop area and just filling it as needed... so thats why I was inquring about this issue..

 

[gritsar]

Like Speckled, I keep my feeder full at all times. My chickens free range all day and mooch for treats at the kitchen door, but they still like a bite or two of their feed when they are around their coop. In fact, I've started tossing out a handful of layer pellets whenever I have reason to visit the coop. Throw a handful of it on the ground and they gobble it up like it was the best of treats.

 

[speckledhen]

Never had an overweight chicken. My Blue Orp is huge, but he gets almost nothing except the regular feed and doesn't eat much of that. He's a natural tank!