How do I feed my chickens?

[StarOnFire59]

Skip the scratch and treats. They love it, sure, but it’s the equivalent of snacking on Baby Ruths and potato chips all day, and then not having much appetite for a nutritious meal. A tablespoon 3 days a week is plenty.

Hard to say about the layer feed (again, it should be 90%+ of what they eat every day.) I don’t have bantams, and mine “yard-range” much of every day. They’re currently eating maybe 3/4 cup per 21-week-old pullet per day.

Thanks so much! I've never raised just laying hens before.

 

[Kmaria187]

I have a question. My laying hens are almost 1 year old (Bantam Americaunas). I will have had them just 1 week tomorrow & the hatchery said they were all 10-11 mons. old when I got them. I mix wheat/corn scratch, layer feed & harvest treats, etc. together, and add in powdered egg shell. My oyster shell should be arriving 15th or 16th.
Question: How much feed do I need to put in for each hen?

how many hens do you have?

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Thanks so much! I've never raised just laying hens before.

It’s different, isn’t it? You don’t want to fatten them up, because it usually shortens their lifespans due to several horrible conditions, like fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome. Often the opposite of raising meat animals.

It’s fun to offer treats, until they look on you as a refrigerator with an open door and start nagging every time they see you. (Ask me how I know! )

 

[StarOnFire59]

how many hens do you have?

3

 

[StarOnFire59]

It’s different, isn’t it? You don’t want to fatten them up, because it usually shortens their lifespans due to several horrible conditions, like fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome. Often the opposite of raising meat animals.

It’s fun to offer treats, until they look on you as a refrigerator with an open door and start nagging every time they see you. (Ask me how I know! )

We had flocks, chickens and ducks, growing up on a poultry farm.

 

[Yardmom]

@ChickQueen77 by putting your chicks in with the bantams you are creating a need for an extra integration. I, as well as many backyard chicken raisers, have chicks much younger than you put in with adult standard chickens. I find the younger the chicks the less likely the hens are to bother them. Sometimes it helps to make a set up that the littles can go in and out of, but the bigs can't.

 

[StinkyAcres]

7-week-old standard chicks aren't too small to be with adult standard hens. There will be fewer problems if you introduce them slowly and gradually using a wire pen inside the coop.