Feeding

[Chick_a_dee]

I don't quite understand the 12 off 12 on concept... You feed for 12 hours then take food away for 12 hours? Is the 12 on during the day or night?

 

[Brunty_Farms]

It's a vague system.... I just follow the daylight after the broilers are two weeks.

If the weather is too cold keep the lights on and take the food away at night.

 

[jaku]

They eat during the day, but it doesn't have to be perfect. I put out feed whenever my two year old wakes me up in the morning, refill it before I leave for work at 1:30, then it's gone when I get home at 11:00. I'm sure it's actually gone by about 6:00, but whatever. On my days off I keep the feeders full for the full 12 hours, but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

How much should I put in the feeder if I intend to leave them all day, like is there an amount per chick that they should have?

 

[jaku]

Quote:
There probably is an "amount per chick," but I don't know what it would be. I'd say put as much as you can fit out there. For my 53, I put (2) three foot trough feeders, filled to the top, and I don't know that I've ever come home to it NOT being empty.

 

[The Rooster]

When I had all 50 of mine, I had a 13 pound gravity style feeder in with them. I would fill it up twice a day so it was about a half a pound per chicken. I butchered a few at 5 weeks this way. Only 6 birds to go then I'll take some time off. I feed at 9 am then again at around 7 pm.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
There probably is an "amount per chick," but I don't know what it would be. I'd say put as much as you can fit out there. For my 53, I put (2) three foot trough feeders, filled to the top, and I don't know that I've ever come home to it NOT being empty.

I was thinking of buying one of those tin turkey roaster pans from the grocery store and loading that up because I can't get those large trough feeders, only the small ones

 

[beak]

I use a couple pig troughs that are about 10" x 20" and 8" deep. The problem is the stupid birds jump in it , then the other birds stand around till they can get to it. They should call them pig chickens.

 

[taras.farm]

Yes pig chickens!
Mine are 2 1/2 weeks and I always fill when i see its empty....
Even after having them last year I always forget how piggy they are.....
CRRRR-ayyyyzy!
I don't really measure just keep an eye on them...check 3 times a day....starting to take the lights off them so they won't freak out too much once they get outside...OINK

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Okay they're still small at this age (2 weeks) LOL although they're probably bigger than my 3-4 week old EE chicks so im currently using a large rectangular baking pan which i have filled. im going to purchaseee myself a long bit of pvc next week and rig it up into a feeder for them for when they're older. This will be much easier when the fixed top coms off the brooder/meat chicken house (its a large large large brooder they are going to find themselves probably living in until the end of their days except on weekends when someone can be there ALL the time to watch them in the yard). i realize thats not ideal but its my only choice right now with my mum working eradic hours (shes a house cleaner! has her own business) and me at school until the end of june, but whatevss.

Thanks guys, i'm working on my second day of the 12 on 12 off, i took the food away at 7pm so we'll see how this goes!

One last question..or two

My feed bag says for meaties to stop feeding the purina stater/grower at 30 days, what do i feed after that? i've also seen around here that i should feed corn the last week... all i can get locally is cracked corn, should i be feeding that the last week?