feed

[farmer4466]

Which is best ad lib. Or set feed times

 

[eenie114]

The official "right way" to do it is to have food available to the birds 24/7, but I've found that if I do that, it's too expensive and I reach the point of diminishing return pretty quickly, as my chickens have no self control. Example:

I leave out food all the time, I get 12 eggs a week, they stay healthy. OR, I feed eight cups of food in the AM and five in the PM and still get 12 eggs a day and they stay healthy, plus they forage more.


Really, whatever works for you- I don't know of any health benefits to scheduled feeding. It might also depend on if you are free-ranging or not. If you're free-ranging, it's probably less important to have regular, on-the-clock feedings, as they'll have access to more foraging options. (I mean, as long as you're feeding them.

Don't just feed them twice a week, no matter where they live.)