Food planning- Are these consumption numbers correct?

[HensInTheForest]

I have seen a few different numbers thrown around, one which seems so off now that I look at my notes I wanted to check with you all.

Baby chicks will eat 1 to 2 oz of food per day for the first 8 weeks, or about .75lb a week, or approx 6 lbs per chick for 8 weeks.

Adult hens will eat a more varying amount - 1.75 lbs per week or one half cup per day give or take - Depending on how much they free range of course or you supplement them in other ways this would vary. So 22 birds each week will eat about 40 lbs per week.

Is that fairly close?

Should we just skip scratch grains if they are just not good for them?

I plan on meal worms as a treat.

We have a room we can sprout food for them all year long but will do mostly in winter months.

 

[Percheron chick]

Spot on.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Just skip the scratch grains.

A lot of people say that a bird will eat 20lbs in their first 20 weeks.

After that on average (meaning some are going to eat a little more and some are going to eat a lot more, as well as the reverse) a grown bird eats a 1/4 pound

 

[HensInTheForest]

Spot on.

Thanks! I had in my notes that 20 chickens will eat 60 lbs per month, that was way off!!

 

[NatJ]

Adult hens will eat a more varying amount - 1.75 lbs per week or one half cup per day give or take

Some foods have a different weight per cup, so if that is important you should weigh a cup of your feed.

But if you're just planning how many bags to buy (sold by weight), then figuring .25 pounds per day or 1.75 pounds per week should be a good place to start. As you noted, there are plenty of things that can cause them to eat more or less.

 

[Percheron chick]

I just ran a batch of 44 chicks and they went through 200# in just over 8 weeks. I ferment at this stage as it cuts down on feed waste. Less mixed in the bedding. 4.5#/ chick to 8 weeks. No treats other than a few handfuls of alfalfa leaves.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

As @JacinLarkwell said, skip the scratch. For a whole host of reasons. If you want to encourage the behavior, throw feed - they will think its a treat. Mealworms are very high fat, small quantities only, or skip them entirely.

The Thumb rules are just that - useful starting places for estimation. Actual consumption will vary based on breed and management style. Tractored or free ranged birds eat less, depending on how much forage is available, and its quality. Broilers eat more than layers. RSL tend to eat less than BSL within the "Layer" category.

Don't measure by volume, measure by weight. Volume is subject to variation based on the nature of the feed - whole grain, pellet, crumble, mini pellet, etc. Pellet and wet mash tend to reduce waste by making the "crumbs" larger, easier for them to find after spilling.

The usual adages are 10# in the first 10 weeks, and 1/4#/bird/day thereafter. Cx may be closer to 9# in six weeks! 20# in the first 20 weeks is more like a RSL experience, about the lowest you are likely to see.

 

[Percheron chick]

Thanks! I had in my notes that 20 chickens will eat 60 lbs per month, that was way off!!

Wishful thinking. You could get it down that low but you would need an amazing compost system and bug/worm bins.

 

[HensInTheForest]

Wishful thinking. You could get it down that low but you would need an amazing compost system and bug/worm bins.

Yep, it was taken from a bloggers site when I first started researching. Feel strongly her numbers were off!!

 

[HensInTheForest]

As @JacinLarkwell said, skip the scratch. For a whole host of reasons. If you want to encourage the behavior, throw feed - they will think its a treat. Mealworms are very high fat, small quantities only, or skip them entirely.

The Thumb rules are just that - useful starting places for estimation. Actual consumption will vary based on breed and management style. Tractored or free ranged birds eat less, depending on how much forage is available, and its quality. Broilers eat more than layers. RSL tend to eat less than BSL within the "Layer" category.

Don't measure by volume, measure by weight. Volume is subject to variation based on the nature of the feed - whole grain, pellet, crumble, mini pellet, etc. Pellet and wet mash tend to reduce waste by making the "crumbs" larger, easier for them to find after spilling.

The usual adages are 10# in the first 10 weeks, and 1/4#/bird/day thereafter. Cx may be closer to 9# in six weeks! 20# in the first 20 weeks is more like a RSL experience, about the lowest you are likely to see.

Wow thanks!! Super helpful.

Yes will be tractoring here we are in the forest with tall oaks and pines, but have cleared out the stands abit so there is really good foraging room and places to hide. This first year I just don’t trust the hawks and owls, they have nests here.

Avatar photo is my yard here.

We can move the tractors and keep them safe.