Feeding enough?

[catchthewind]

Quote:
This is my main reason for not wanting to offer free feed 24/7. I'm left with the question of how much feed is appropriate for ones so young who free range? If my girls were locked in a run only able to eat what I provide I do think I would just offer free feed during the day. Maybe that should be my course of action? I'm just of the mind that they don't *need* feed 24/7. Growing up, our chickens were fed 1x day and foraged the 10 acres the rest of the day. My girls only have a backyard, but still there is lots of food available - I'd like to encourage what nature has given them, but still be sure they have enough nutrition.

All that rambling aside, my original question still stands...is there a general feed amount for young pullets?

I feel very much the same. That's why I haven't been putting food out with them when they're outside. I want them to learn to forage and I see them constantly eating grass, pulling up bugs, etc. We have an acre and a half of mixed forest and pasture, very little just pure lawn, so there's a lot of variety, and I read about checking their crops and they always feel full when I bring them back inside. But then they go wild over their food like they're starving. Their coop should be done in the next couple of days *knock on wood* and then I'll likely just leave their food full in the coop and they can go in and out as they please. Have you tried checking their crops after they've been out foraging all day?

 

[llnmaw]

Quote:
This is my main reason for not wanting to offer free feed 24/7. I'm left with the question of how much feed is appropriate for ones so young who free range? If my girls were locked in a run only able to eat what I provide I do think I would just offer free feed during the day. Maybe that should be my course of action? I'm just of the mind that they don't *need* feed 24/7. Growing up, our chickens were fed 1x day and foraged the 10 acres the rest of the day. My girls only have a backyard, but still there is lots of food available - I'd like to encourage what nature has given them, but still be sure they have enough nutrition.

All that rambling aside, my original question still stands...is there a general feed amount for young pullets?

I feel very much the same. That's why I haven't been putting food out with them when they're outside. I want them to learn to forage and I see them constantly eating grass, pulling up bugs, etc. We have an acre and a half of mixed forest and pasture, very little just pure lawn, so there's a lot of variety, and I read about checking their crops and they always feel full when I bring them back inside. But then they go wild over their food like they're starving. Their coop should be done in the next couple of days *knock on wood* and then I'll likely just leave their food full in the coop and they can go in and out as they please. Have you tried checking their crops after they've been out foraging all day?

Sorry I don't know how to edit the quote to just what I'm replying to...but in response to checking their crop. Good idea...but...erm...how do you do that? I've seen their crops looking bigger, assuming that means it is 'full enough'? I'm afraid I don't know the difference between an empty crop and a full one.

Still no recommendations on how much feed is enough? Maybe I'll google it......

~L.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

For a full grown layer, heavy weight breeds eat about 1/3 lb of feed and lightweight breeds about 1/4 lb each, per day. That's if they don't eat anything else.

It will vary, depending on the quality of the feed and what else they are eating. You should probably google for how much growing chicks or pullets need. It changes as they grow. Plus you are feeding for growth, not maintenance, which takes more food per pound of body weight.

Foraging is a natural behavior and a skill that's learned. Most chickens prefer the food they can forage over commercial feed, if they can find enough of the nutrients they need. I free feed and let them figure it out.

 

[catchthewind]

Quote:
Well, I'm pretty new to chickens, but if you feel their necks you can feel their crop pretty easily. It's actually not hard to tell. Feel it in the morning when they've just woken up and it feels a bit deflated. After being outside all day, it feels full and is a lot more obvious. Hard to explain, but if you know where it is it's pretty simple to feel the difference.

 

[MsPony]

I'm very pro- foraging and pasturing. I give a scoop (horse scoop) into their free feeder whenever they need it. During winter it might be every other day, any other time its once a week. They come back to pellets only when they may need a certain nutrient, or their simply is nothing else to eat (IE dead of winter.)

I put stepping stones out during the rainy season, as soon as it clears the chooks and I run out and lift everything to scrounge for worms. Also, since they are on grass, I weed whack it to about 6", as anything taller is a smidge hard to forage through.

 

[Fred's Hens]

OK, to answer the OP's questions, perhaps this will help.

Try this. Feed them well, in the morning. A one pound coffee can of pellets per 4/6 birds. If they gobble that up, that's a signal they need a touch more. You can choose to feed more, in the morning, but since you are ranging them, I'd turn them out. At the end of the day, say around 5 pm, see if they'll gobble down another dribble of feed. If they do, they need it. Increase the amount dribbled out in the evening. But.... at the point at which there is feed left in the feeder, come nightfall??? You've over fed. They were full and chickens regulate themselves pretty well.

Leaving that excess feed over night is an open "All You Can Eat" invitation to the rodent world.

With practice, you will determine how many pounds your flocks eat during the day very closely, and be able to supply the correct ration.

 

[catchthewind]

Fred's Hens :

OK, to answer the OP's questions, perhaps this will help.

Try this. Feed them well, in the morning. A one pound coffee can of pellets per 4/6 birds. If they gobble that up, that's a signal they need a touch more. You can choose to feed more, in the morning, but since you are ranging them, I'd turn them out. At the end of the day, say around 5 pm, see if they'll gobble down another dribble of feed. If they do, they need it. Increase the amount dribbled out in the evening. But.... at the point at which there is feed left in the feeder, come nightfall??? You've over fed. They were full and chickens regulate themselves pretty well.

Leaving that excess feed over night is an open "All You Can Eat" invitation to the rodent world.

With practice, you will determine how many pounds your flocks eat during the day very closely, and be able to supply the correct ration.

I'm not the OP but this sounds like a good idea and an easy way to help determine how much feed to give them. I think I will give it a try. Also makes me not feel so bad for not providing them food during the day while they're out ranging. Currently, they always have free choice morning and evening.

As an aside, I have been on these boards for a couple of months now and I really like your sort of no-nonsense, common sense approach to a lot of questions people have (not just about feed, but moving chicks out and such too).​

 

[llnmaw]

Fred's Hens :

OK, to answer the OP's questions, perhaps this will help.

Try this. Feed them well, in the morning. A one pound coffee can of pellets per 4/6 birds. If they gobble that up, that's a signal they need a touch more. You can choose to feed more, in the morning, but since you are ranging them, I'd turn them out. At the end of the day, say around 5 pm, see if they'll gobble down another dribble of feed. If they do, they need it. Increase the amount dribbled out in the evening. But.... at the point at which there is feed left in the feeder, come nightfall??? You've over fed. They were full and chickens regulate themselves pretty well.

Leaving that excess feed over night is an open "All You Can Eat" invitation to the rodent world.

With practice, you will determine how many pounds your flocks eat during the day very closely, and be able to supply the correct ration.

Thank you! This is so helpful. I agree with pp....I'm a bit no -nonsense sorta person myself and your advise on many topics resonates with me.

Incidentally I don't think I've been giving them enough feed.

~L.​