Hen food

[Clubber1234]

How much scoops of layers pellets for 23 hens?

 

[DobieLover]

The general rule of thumb for fully grown layers is 1/4 pound (about 115 g) of feed per day per bird. If you weigh one of your scoops of feed, you can figure out about how much they need to eat in a day.
However, how you feed it will determine how much the chickens will waste. Some setups have little to no waste. Others have a lot of waste.

 

[N F C]

I always have feed out for the flock to eat as much as they want, when they want. Since I only have 5 and there's little waste, this works well for the birds and me.

 

[Clubber1234]

Ok it's just they don't leave some there to eat later they gobble it up link there's no tomorrow.

 

[Acre4Me]

Ok it's just they don't leave some there to eat later they gobble it up link there's no tomorrow.

How old are your birds and how many? Do you have a light or heavy breed?

 

[Clubber1234]

They are ISA browns and are 1 year old, their are 23.

 

[Acre4Me]

They are ISA browns and are 1 year old, their are 23.

Have you been feeding them for a period of time (ex: 30 min), then taking away feed (not wanting to attract rodents, for example), then repeat in evening? Maybe that’s why they are hungry?

Or, are you noticing an increase in feed useage, so that they are going through it faster? If so, you either have hens that are spilling feed and scratching it into the litter (so you can’t see the waste), or you have visiting rodents/birds helping themselves to the feed.

ISA browns aren’t overly large, as they are bred for egg production, as I recall. So, the standard feed recommendation should work. But, what’s the protein content of their feed?

 

[kwhites634]

How much scoops of layers pellets for 23 hens?

I don't fool with counting scoops; too much like work. I use a gravity-fed PVC feeder I built from plans on BYC. It'll last maybe 4 days for half a dozen lf birds. You'd probably want at least two for two dozen birds.

 

[Clubber1234]

I just throw the food around and they eat it.
At the moment the food I am giving them is Verm-X range layers pellets natural source of intestinal hygiene.
And I am giving them two scoops A day.

 

[Acre4Me]

I just throw the food around and they eat it.
At the moment the food I am giving them is Verm-X range layers pellets natural source of intestinal hygiene.
And I am giving them two scoops A day.View attachment 1624689

My guess is that they aren’t getting enough food. We have 21 currently (6 breeds, including regular to very large, of 43 week olds), and 7 chicks (of 7 breeds) that are 14 weeks old. We go through more than what I would think is “2scoops”. We fill a chick feeder (plastic jar screwed onto a base with holes-very typical feeder for chicks), completely, and then about half of a “7lb feeder” that hangs. Nearly all feed gone at end of day. We remove feeders at night.

You might try using a feeder so they don’t have to hunt for all their food (and less waste). I would recommend 2 feed stations for that many birds, so no one bird gets bullied away from the feed. We have had that happen and actually had one bird bullied into staying in the coop nearly 24/7 due to the cockerel that seemed bent on never seeing that pullet, or chasing her meanly if he did. That bird was hardly eating. Two feed stations were already there, but we had to spread them farther apart, which helped a lot.

Good luck!