Feeding Program

[matt44644]

Well if my 15 chickens start consuming 148.5 lbs a month will be become Kentucky Fried.!

 

[Roan]

matt44644: The average chicken, depending on size, breed etc, will eat somewhere between .25 and.33 pounds of feed a day. Using the .33lbs a day, .33 lbs x 38 chickens = 12.54 lbs a day, 12.45 lbs x 30 days = 376 lbs a month. So is the .35 lb a day a little much, maybe. But he did change the way they were fed so some adjustment to the method change should be considered. And a couple of days may not tell the whole story.

You're absolutely right.

First, we butchered our two established Ameraucana roosters to make room for our new Australorp rooster. That, of course, threw the flocks into a state of confusion but he has settled in quite nicely and the ladies love him.

Second, I did start feeding them differently. originally, I would just scatter the day's rations on the ground for them so they could eat and go. Now, I'm trying to monitor their intake so I am using feeders.

Third, I've introduced artificial dawn to encourage egg production.

Last, our 11 kids and 7 teens are growing daily, so I expect their intake to increase daily until their metabolism slows down.

Obviously, there will be some adjustment but I just wasn't prepared for it to cost so much more in food even on the short-term!

I'm also changing their diet, which I believe will be a minor change for them.

I was feeding them DuMor Laying Pellet 16% which has 16% protein but since they're molting on top of everything else, I am adding 10% calf manna to their ration. Calf manna has 25% protein and is mixed with the DuMor.

I am hoping that this change will speed their molt and increase egg production. At the present, we're only getting 3 to 6 eggs daily from our 18 ladies. (not a good ratio)

 

[aart]

The supplemental light may take weeks to have an effect.

Last winter I used a 40 watt incandescent light(this year I am using a CFL) that comes on early in the morning to provide 14-15 hours of light and they go to roost with the natural sundown. Last year I started the lighting increase a bit late(mid October), the light should be increased slowly, and the pullets didn't start laying until late December.

Here's pretty good article on supplemental lighting. Some folks think that using lighting shortens the years a hen will lay, I don't particularly agree with that theory but I also plan to cull my older hens for soup at about 3 years old.

 

[Roan]

Thanks for the info about lighting. It's truly helpful since my end concern is egg production.

However, food consumption is my priority at the moment, since I am concerned that they're not getting enough from me.
Here is a breakdown of their new feed:

Pounds Description Formulas
6.44 feed
0.644 calf manna =feed * 0.1
5.796 laying pellets =feed * 0.9

Protein
0.161 calf manna protein =calf_manna * 0.25
0.92736 laying pellets protein =laying_pellets * 0.16
1.08836 total protein protein =calf_manna_protein + laying_pellets_protein
16.90% % of feed =total_protein / feed

The directions for the calf manna say add 10% calf manna and 90% regular ration (in my case, laying pellets).
The laying pellets are 16% protein and the calf manna is 25% protein.

On the surface, I thought wow, 25% more protein! that would give them 41% protein per day.

Yes, my thinking was off at the moment of purchase. <sigh>

As you can see from the above breakdown, they are getting less than 1% extra protein from the manna. Not to mention that the manna cost me almost as much as the laying pellets for 20% the volume!!!

Description Price
DuMOR

Layer Pellet 16%, 50 lb. 13.49
Manna Pro

Calf-Manna

Supplement, 10 lb. 12.99
Total Price 26.48
Percent of Total Price 100.00%
DuMOR

Layer Pellet 16%, 50 lb. 50.94%
Manna Pro

Calf-Manna

Supplement, 10 lb.
49.06%

Looks like when you compare the numbers, spending almost half of your feed budget on less than 1% of protein is a very huge mistake. However, I am not infallible, so if I'm looking at this wrong, I'd truly love to be set right. Thanks.

But for now though, it seems more cost savvy to just stick with the Laying Pellets and continue with the feeding program and see where it takes me.

Keep the comments and advice coming because it is really helpful!!! Thanks again!

 

[matt44644]

I would try giving them just the layer feed.Put 8.5lbs in the feeder in the morning and see how long it lasts.

 

[Roan]

I was doing similar to that but it was suggested to just fill the feeder and weigh it out at the end of the day to get their total daily consumption.

So basically, what I do is give them 9.7lbs in the morning then check the feeders throughout the day and add when necessary (always adding 9.7 lbs) then weighing it when they go to bed to see what's left over.

 

[aart]

I was doing similar to that but it was suggested to just fill the feeder and weigh it out at the end of the day to get their total daily consumption.

So basically, what I do is give them 9.7lbs in the morning then check the feeders throughout the day and add when necessary (always adding 9.7 lbs) then weighing it when they go to bed to see what's left over.

That oughta get you a daily amount.....look at spillage too.

Have you compared the ingredients between the calf manna and chicken feed.....wondering if there's something in there that chickens maybe shouldn't be eating?

 

[enola]

If your chickens are spilling feed and not cleaning it up you are feeding them too much feed.

 

[Roan]

That oughta get you a daily amount.....look at spillage too.

Have you compared the ingredients between the calf manna and chicken feed.....wondering if there's something in there that chickens maybe shouldn't be eating?

Calf Manna

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/manna-proreg;-calf-mannareg;-supplement-10-lb?cm_vc=-10005

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min.) 25.00%, Lysine (min.) 1.4%, Methionine (min.) 0.3%, Crude Fat (min.) 3.0%, Crude Fiber (min.) 3.0%, Crude Fiber (max.) 6.00%, Acid Detergent Fiber (max.) 10.0%, Calcium (min.) 0.7%, Calcium (max.) 1.2%, Phosphorus (min.) 0.6%, Salt (min.) 0.5%, Salt (max.) 1.0%, Sodium (min.) 0.2%, Sodium (max.) 0.4%, Copper (min.) 15 ppm, Copper (max.) 35 ppm, Selenium (min.) 0.1 ppm, Zinc (min.) 125 ppm, Vitamin A (min.) 20,000 IU/lb.

DuMor Laying Pellets

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/dumorreg;-layer-pellet-16%-50-lb

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min.) 16.00%, Lysine (min.) .70%, Methionine (min.) .35%, Crude Fat (min.) 2.50%, Crude Fiber (max.) 7.00%, Calcium (Ca) (min.) 3.80%, Calcium (Ca) (max.) 4.80%, Phosphorus (P) (min.) .50%, Salt (NaCl) (min.) .25%, Salt (NaCl) (max.) .75%, Ruminant meat and bone meal free.

As for the ingredients, the site does not list them for the laying pellets.

 

[Roan]

If your chickens are spilling feed and not cleaning it up you are feeding them too much feed.

I check their feed and for eggs every 1 to 1.5 hours and haven't seen any sign of spillage.