Feeding

[Brooks_]

Their is no way a bird or mouse can get into the coop it has hard ware mesh..

Rodents might be living in there already. The birds went in/out somehow and rodents can chew through wood. Take a close inspection for droppings/rub marks.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I have two main flocks barred rocks and leghorns and a small silkie flock. When I fill the feeder up they eat it all in 1 - 2 days. There is 11 leghorns and 11 barred rocks. The silkies don't eat that much but I still feed them once a day.

You have over 22 chickens.
My 8 full size chickens (Barred Rocks and ISA Browns) ate 50 lbs of feed in 4 weeks from February 6 to March 6.(winter here)That's about 3.6 ounces or 102 grams by weight per chicken. About 5.5 ounces or 165 ml of crumbles on a measuring cup.

They eat about a 3rd to 2/5th less during the summer, about 3.5 ounces or 110 ml as measured on a cup.
I also give each of them 2 Tbsps of Scratch Grains daily during the winter scattered in their pens.

I also let them Freerange an hour before sunset daily, weather permitting. Not much for them to eat around here, this time of year. No bugs, just dry grass, leaves and weeds.

I never let feeders get empty.

My raised coops are rodent proof when I close the pop door after sunset.
I lost a Pullet last Wednesday to a Coopers hawk at sunset. So they won't Freerange for a week or two.
I now have 7. GC

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

You have over 22 chickens.
My 8 full size chickens (Barred Rocks and ISA Browns) ate 50 lbs of feed in 4 weeks from February 6 to March 6.(winter here)That's about 3.6 ounces or 102 grams by weight per chicken. About 5.5 ounces or 165 ml of crumbles on a measuring cup. View attachment 2569876View attachment 2569877
They eat about a 3rd to 2/5th less during the summer, about 3.5 ounces or 110 ml as measured on a cup.
I also give each of them 2 Tbsps of Scratch Grains daily during the winter scattered in their pens.View attachment 2569806
I also let them Freerange an hour before sunset daily, weather permitting. Not much for them to eat around here, this time of year. No bugs, just dry grass, leaves and weeds. View attachment 2569798View attachment 2569804
I never let feeders get empty. View attachment 2569805View attachment 2569830
My raised coops are rodent proof when I close the pop door after sunset.
I lost a Pullet last Wednesday to a Coopers hawk at sunset. So they won't Freerange for a week or two.
I now have 7. GC

I have 29 chickens 3 different coops 1 coop has 14 chickens. The second coop has 11 chickens. And the third is a brooder but, it has bantams in it. I have no trouble feeding the bantams

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

You have over 22 chickens.
My 8 full size chickens (Barred Rocks and ISA Browns) ate 50 lbs of feed in 4 weeks from February 6 to March 6.(winter here)That's about 3.6 ounces or 102 grams by weight per chicken. About 5.5 ounces or 165 ml of crumbles on a measuring cup. View attachment 2569876View attachment 2569877
They eat about a 3rd to 2/5th less during the summer, about 3.5 ounces or 110 ml as measured on a cup.
I also give each of them 2 Tbsps of Scratch Grains daily during the winter scattered in their pens.View attachment 2569806
I also let them Freerange an hour before sunset daily, weather permitting. Not much for them to eat around here, this time of year. No bugs, just dry grass, leaves and weeds. View attachment 2569798View attachment 2569804
I never let feeders get empty. View attachment 2569805View attachment 2569830
My raised coops are rodent proof when I close the pop door after sunset.
I lost a Pullet last Wednesday to a Coopers hawk at sunset. So they won't Freerange for a week or two.
I now have 7. GC

My feeder is 30lbs for both big coops. They both eat it all in 1-2 days not weeks DAYS no rodents or other birds get in the coop. The chickens just eat and eat and eat and eat they never stop unless they need to lay a egg or sleep or get a drink.

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

You have over 22 chickens.
My 8 full size chickens (Barred Rocks and ISA Browns) ate 50 lbs of feed in 4 weeks from February 6 to March 6.(winter here)That's about 3.6 ounces or 102 grams by weight per chicken. About 5.5 ounces or 165 ml of crumbles on a measuring cup. View attachment 2569876View attachment 2569877
They eat about a 3rd to 2/5th less during the summer, about 3.5 ounces or 110 ml as measured on a cup.
I also give each of them 2 Tbsps of Scratch Grains daily during the winter scattered in their pens.View attachment 2569806
I also let them Freerange an hour before sunset daily, weather permitting. Not much for them to eat around here, this time of year. No bugs, just dry grass, leaves and weeds. View attachment 2569798View attachment 2569804
I never let feeders get empty. View attachment 2569805View attachment 2569830
My raised coops are rodent proof when I close the pop door after sunset.
I lost a Pullet last Wednesday to a Coopers hawk at sunset. So they won't Freerange for a week or two.
I now have 7. GC

 

[Meg-in-MT]

I have 29 chickens 3 different coops 1 coop has 14 chickens. The second coop has 11 chickens. And the third is a brooder but, it has bantams in it. I have no trouble feeding the bantams

So you feed 30lbs of feed every two days to 25 chickens. Is that correct? The bantams don't eat out of the same feeder?

I think a general guideline is .25-.33 lbs/day/chicken. That's going to depend a lot on size, gender, free-range abilities, time of year etc. Have you weighed the feed to see if it's actually 30# of food?

If the above is correct, they're eating 0.60lbs each a day. Seems like a lot.

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

So you feed 30lbs of feed every two days to 25 chickens. Is that correct? The bantams don't eat out of the same feeder?

I think a general guideline is .25-.33 lbs/day/chicken. That's going to depend a lot on size, gender, free-range abilities, time of year etc. Have you weighed the feed to see if it's actually 30# of food?

If the above is correct, they're eating 0.60lbs each a day. Seems like a lot.

Yes Im having feeding problems with the bigger flocks the barred rock flock and the leghorn flock. Their coops and feeders are seperate the leghorn flock has 11 leghorns one silkie rock and 2 silkie roos. The barred rock flock has 10 hens and 1 silkie roo.

 

[Tilhana]

Wow I'm surprised so many people keep the feeders full. At least some of my birds will overeat grain if I give them unlimited access, and I buy organic grain so it's quite expensive. Plus, I have an open run, and when I overfeed, the crows show up and help themselves. We're right on the edge of the woods, and I could go broke feeding all the birds and rodents in the area.

I feed in the morning, and I weigh it out based on the assumption that each bird needs 1/3 lb of dry feed per day. I add about 30-50% to account for water weight (because the grain I feed is fermented, plus I mix in whatever food scraps I have on hand before I weigh it and those usually have some water content).

Whenever the flock size changes, I recalculate then add a bit more as a buffer, then I just observe how fast they eat it, how many crows show up how late into the day, and whether the egg count goes up or down and adjust as necessary until we find a good equilibrium. I also add another 10-25% in the winter to account for less foraging, and observe and readjust again. It's not an exact science. But I do want them foraging and not just gorging on grains all day.

edit: Oh, I also let them free range a couple hours a day when the ground isn't covered in snow. So they have a chance to fill their crops before bed time.

 

[Maureen in Chesterton]

My feeder is 30lbs for both big coops. They both eat it all in 1-2 days not weeks DAYS no rodents or other birds get in the coop. The chickens just eat and eat and eat and eat they never stop unless they need to lay a egg or sleep or get a drink.

Do they have room to roam around and scratch in the dirt? Maybe they're bored. Have you tried hanging a head of cabbage by a string so they spend time pecking at that?

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

Wow I'm surprised so many people keep the feeders full. At least some of my birds will overeat grain if I give them unlimited access, and I buy organic grain so it's quite expensive. Plus, I have an open run, and when I overfeed, the crows show up and help themselves. We're right on the edge of the woods, and I could go broke feeding all the birds and rodents in the area.

I feed in the morning, and I weigh it out based on the assumption that each bird needs 1/3 lb of dry feed per day. I add about 30-50% to account for water weight (because the grain I feed is fermented, plus I mix in whatever food scraps I have on hand before I weigh it and those usually have some water content).

Whenever the flock size changes, I recalculate then add a bit more as a buffer, then I just observe how fast they eat it, how many crows show up how late into the day, and whether the egg count goes up or down and adjust as necessary until we find a good equilibrium. I also add another 10-25% in the winter to account for less foraging, and observe and readjust again. It's not an exact science. But I do want them foraging and not just gorging on grains all day.

edit: Oh, I also let them free range a couple hours a day when the ground isn't covered in snow. So they have a chance to fill their crops before bed time.

In my area theres no snow and they get to free range all day long. I do give them mealworm and sunflower mix in the winter