how are your feeding

I free feed. I always have layer crumbles in a hanging feeder. I have 2 feeders one in the coop and one in the run. That one is under cover. I give them all of the kitchen scraps and any of the vegies that are less than perfect. They also get any leftovers that are around for more than a day or two. I have been known to buy them watermelons when it gets very hot.

 

I free feed also, but only inside the coop, which they do have access to all day. They usually don't go in to eat during the day and choose to fill their crops before roosting, though. I also give them a small scoop of scratch every morning, and some grasshoppers or grapes at night before they go into the coop.

 

I use hanging feeders and tubs (for horses,goats, etc). If the feeders are empty, I fill them up.

 

I free feed and just top off the hanging feeder when needed.

 

I keep the hanging feeders full and toss oats and or scratch in the coop and run daily.

 

My formula seems to change from time to time. When it got hot this summer, and the girls started having a hard time laying, i did some reading here on BYC and started free feeding an equal mix of scratch and flock raiser, with a small amount of calf manna mixed in. When i have it, i also add some BOSS with the calf manna. One feeder full lasts them about 3 days. And of course, they root through the compost and get whatever scraps i can give them and whatever they get while free ranging.

I've had really good results. I'm getting tons of eggs now, and my dual purpose meaties, who get the same formula because they range together, are nice and meaty and even a little fat.