Free feed?

[Riven]

I'm trying to figure out my feeding program here! Normally I feed once a day, enough so that they still have some there in the evening. Is this enough?

I have RIR, barred rocks, and a couple call ducks in that pen. The pen is about 20' x 50' plus the coop ( 8' x 14' or so) that they roam around.

I just want to make sure they all get enough! They all come a' running when I go to feed, but then again, I can go in the house and come right back out and they still think they need feed even with food still there!

I'm feeding layer crumbles and cracked corn if that makes a difference.

Thanks!

 

[Marlinchaser]

You should have the layer crumbles availabe 24/7, the cracked corn should onlly be given as a treat, has low nutritional value, and chickens will tend to pick it out, and brush aside the nutriciuos stuff.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

fROM:

I always fed 16% crumbles and had feed there at all times
chickens like to pick thru the feed and get the bigger pieces of corn
at most corn is the biggest part of the feed
and most corn is 9-10% protein
and with cracked corn it has the most best part out that is the heart of the corn kernel
so the birds do not need corn perse' as they have plenty in the crumbles
so you are just adding fat to the birds
I always found that a feeder with whole horse oats and feeder with grit was better for them than scratch grains ie: corn in general

so try this and see if they are more satisfied
it takes the fat off the gut and puts more energy in the meat of the chickens body

you still need the feeder with crumbles as well as the whole oats and grit

CHICKEN FEED: Protein protein content of chicken feed, calculation of protein.
www.lionsgrip.com/protein.html - 26k - Cach

A List of the Protein Levels of Different Feeds

FOOD SOURCE %PROTEIN, BY WT


Dried fish flakes 76
Dried liver 76
Dried earthworms 76
Duckweed 50
Torula yeast 50
Brewers yeast 39
Soybeans (dry roasted) 37
Flaxseed 37
Alfalfa seed 35
Beef, lean 28
Earthworms 28
Fish 28
Sunflower seeds 26.3
Wheat germ 25
Peas & Beans, dried 24.5
Sesame seed 19.3
Soybeans (boiled) 17
Wheat bran 16.6
Oats, whole 14
Rice polish 12.8
Rye 12.5
Wheat 12.5
Barley 12.3
Oats 12
Corn 9
Millet 9
Milo 9
Rice, brown 7.5