Feeding tiller chickens

[chickme]

Hello,

New chicken owner here. I have a couple dozen six-week-olds that I want to use as tiller chickens, a mix of Black Australorps and New Hampshire Reds. I purchased them as straight run chicks, and my intent is eventually to cull the excess males and keep most of the females on as layers and tillers.

They are in a movable coop inside an electric net fence on a grassy old sheep pasture. I'm assuming that I should be giving them supplementary feed, as they won't forage 100% of their diet. My questions are:

(1) How do I know how much feed they need? Which I guess basically means, how do I inspect their crops? I've seen lots of information about checking the crops of mature birds, but how big/firm should the crop of a six-week-old be at the end of the day?

(2) I was originally feeding them free choice, as I had as chicks. But they seemed to be filling up on feed, and then spending the day sitting in the shade under the coop. (I'm in Maine, and it's been warm lately but not that hot.) So I switched to giving them a full feeder for an hour or two in the morning, and a little more in the evening if I need to to get them back in the coop. Not much change in behavior. So what are some feeding methods that will ensure they get what they need for nutrition, while encouraging them to forage as actively as possible?

Many thanks,
chickme

 

[junebuggena]

They should have unlimited access to feed. 6 week old chicks have a lot of growing and developing to do. That's what they need to be spending the energy on, not foraging for every morsel. As they get bigger, they will start foraging more, but they should always have access to a balanced, age appropriate feed. If you restrict their access to proper feed at a young age, you will have growth problems later on. It will take them longer to mature and start laying eggs, they may have stunted growth, and they can develop feet and leg problems that will make it harder for them to forage when they are older.

 

[chickme]

What you say makes good sense for growing chickens. But what then is the best way to get them into the coop in the evening? Rattling the food or giving out treats doesn't seem to work when they are already full...

 

[junebuggena]

Keep them shut up in the coop for a couple days. Then let them have access to their pasture area. You may need to gentle, and calmly herd them back into the coop for a few weeks but they should get the hang of putting themselves to bed. Mine have access to free range on about a half acre all day. They always have room for a little scratch before bed. If you make a habit of scattering a bit of scratch around the coop about a half hour before sundown, you might not have to round them up at all. They have a natural instinct to fill their crops before night falls.

 

[chickme]

They were shut up in the coop for the first three days or so. Can do again if necessary, as a refresher. And will try scratch. So far I've just been using pelleted feed as a treat, which isn't much of a treat since they have access to it all day now.

They do tend to be around the coop toward sunset, with some inside and some outside. If go to get them back in the coop, though, the ones who are inside come outside. If I give them feed outside, they all stay outside to eat it. If I dispense the feed inside, usually I can get most of them in, but there are always a few stragglers who hang out under the coop making lonely noises, and I'm finding it really difficult to lure them out and get the back inside.

Still just getting the hang of it, I guess.

Many thanks,
chickme

 

[junebuggena]

I have one that likes to argue with me about going to bed. She's 20 weeks old and still complains loudly and tries to sneak out of the coop. You could try going out a little later to put them in.

 

[chickme]

That's exactly what I did the last two evenings, and they were already all in by the time I got there. Guess I just have to hew to their schedule, not mine! Many thanks again for your advice. --chickme

 

[pdirt]

Just joking here...or you could lure a predator to come inspect the coop, perhaps they will realize quickly the coop is safer!

We've had chicks older than yours that took several weeks of picking them up by hand and placing in the coop, because they kept wanting to roost outside. It was annoying, but they finally learned.

As far as keeping birds from escaping the coop when you are trying to get stragglers inside, it's an art form. Keep the coop door shut until just before you think a straggler wants to go inside. Picking them up after dark is much easier because they are sleepy and can't see well in the dark.