How do you feed your flock?

[Iluveggers]

I was going to do a poll, but there are so many options…please leave a comment answering the following:

1. How old are the members of your flock(s) & what does it (do they) consist of?

2. What feed do they get?

3. How often do you fill/refill the container(s)?

4. What feed container(s) do you use?

5. What do they get besides regular feed? (Scraps, treats, feel free to be as specific as possible).

6. Does your method of feeding change in the winter months, if so, how?

7. Anything else you’d like to add.

 

[3KillerBs]

1. How old are the members of your flock(s) & what does it (do they) consist of?

2. What feed do they get?

3. How often do you fill/refill the container(s)?

4. What feed container(s) do you use?

5. What do they get besides regular feed? (Scraps, treats, feel free to be as specific as possible).

6. Does your method of feeding change in the winter months, if so, how?

7. Anything else you’d like to add.

1. Ages currently range between 7 weeks and 2.5 years. Mixed sexes with the cull cockerels held separately. ~ 25 laying/point-of-lay pullets and hens, 14 chicks in two age groups, and 7 cull cockerels.

2. All-flock type feed, pellet or crumble according to age group and/or which is available and/or cheaper.

3. About every other day with this many. After culling/sales for winter I expect to increase that to every 3rd day.

4. I have 4 different feeders in 3 different styles. I'm wanting to get another of my favorite -- the deep-pan metal handing feeder with the good rolled lip that prevents waste.

5. They have access to a large run that still has vegetation. They get kitchen scraps -- peelings, trimmings, and other waste as long as it's not just empty starch and is neither greasy nor salty. Their primary "treat" food is Dubia roaches a couple times a week (my sister breeds them for her reptiles and gave me a colony).

6. No, though they don't get as much kitchen scrap since we don't have as many fresh vegetables/fruit to prepare.

7. I never catered to picky kids and I won't cater to picky chickens. They eat whatever I put in the feeder.

And if they spill too much of it I don't refill the feeder until they've cleaned it up off the ground.

 

[Iluveggers]

1. How old are the members of your flock(s) & what does it (do they) consist of?

I have 10 pullets ages 11-14 weeks.

2. What feed do they get?

Organic local grower crumble.

3. How often do you fill/refill the container(s)?

I add 1-2 scoops to the feeder daily, and give a scoop of feed then wet with water every morning. They never have finished more than that, but finish the wet mash every day. I leave the dry feed outside all day. It is in the run so no feed at night.

4. What feed container(s) do you use?

A basic chicken circular feeder with 12 openings around the bottom, with a dish rack bottom under it to catch spills, and an old flat Tupperware food container for the wet mash.

5. What do they get besides regular feed? (Scraps, treats, feel free to be as specific as possible).

They eat lots of grass & bugs when they are out, and I pick the dandelions around the outside of my garden along with holey cabbage, chard, and kale leaves that don’t look edible. Ends of cucumbers and zucchini. They do NOT like tomatoes. Lol. Oh, I also provide grit on the side, and refill as needed. Will do the same with oyster shell once they get to laying age.

6. Does your method of feeding change in the winter months, if so, how?

Haven’t gone through winter yet, but since I will have no grass when it snows, I am hoping to provide the stalks to my kale and chard, plus other greens/veggie scraps we buy at the store. I may grow some extra sprouts and grass in the window for them as well.

7. Anything else you’d like to add.

Looking forward to hearing everyone’s methods!

 

[indianaducks]

Flock: ducks, chickens and geese. Ducks and chickens of various ages (a few days up to 2 years old)

Feed: flock raiser, all flock, duck pellets, layer pellets, etc. depends what I can get and how many babies I'm feeding

Adults typically get containers filled in the morning. Babies have access to food 24/7

I just use poultry feeders

Snacks: frozen peas, frozen shredded zucchini, etc

Winter feeding: more food when the ground is frozen and they can't forage. Also sometimes add cracked corn. I typically decrease the frozen greens in the winter

 

[WIchickMama]

1. How old are the members of your flock(s) & what does it (do they) consist of? I have 7 1.5 year old hens and 5 3.5 week old chicks--all one flock

2. What feed do they get? Puring Flock Raiser

3. How often do you fill/refill the container(s)? I have a hanging feeder that I only fill about 1/3 of the way so that I am not having to deal with stuck food, debris or other messes. I also have a feeder that sits on a paver that gets filled daily (small chick feeder) as my second station until the chicks are bigger then there will be another hanging feeder added.

4. What feed container(s) do you use? Just basic plastic feeders- one hangs and is blue and one is white and red and a chick feeder

5. What do they get besides regular feed? (Scraps, treats, feel free to be as specific as possible). They get a handful of scratch in the morning when I go to feed the coop and then they get wet feed mash (nothing added) around early afternoon. They also get some weeds/cut grass a few times a week as needed-torn up now due to the chicks.

6. Does your method of feeding change in the winter months, if so, how? They only thing that changes is that their wet mash is warmed in the winter and then they will occasionally get some lettuce or fresh fruit a couple times a week.

7. Anything else you’d like to add.

 

[Tmartin7711]

1. How old are the members of your flock(s) & what does it (do they) consist of?
- anywhere from 2 years old too 2 weeks old. All chickens I currently have 23. 17 adults, 1 pullet, 5 babies

2. What feed do they get?
- nutrena nature wise chicken feed. 20% pellets, scratch, oyster shells, and grit.

3. How often do you fill/refill the container(s)?
- once a month sometimes twice

4. What feed container(s) do you use?
- little giant 5 gallon chicken feeder

5. What do they get besides regular feed? (Scraps, treats, feel free to be as specific as possible).
- scraps( very wide variety usually leftovers), meal worms for calcium in the morning

6. Does your method of feeding change in the winter months, if so, how?
- usually just have to feed them more since they can't dig as much(they free range)

7. Anything else you’d like to add.
- nutrena is the best feed hands down. I once thought my hen was egg bound luckily she wasn't but I did alot of research and realized it's because of their feed. Number one ingredient is nutrena is corn. Almost all others are grain by products. There is relatively no cost difference plus if you have chickens you are using them for food of some sorts. Personally I like that my food is fed well because they feed me well.

 

[DobieLover]

1. How old are the members of your flock(s) & what does it (do they) consist of?

Flock of 25 chickens. Age ranges from 5.5 weeks to 4.5 years. Two roosters, 21 hens, 2 chicks (won't be staying, they're both cockerels). 2 bantams, 3 mid-sized, rest LF.

2. What feed do they get?

Flock Raiser; half dry, half fermented.

3. How often do you fill/refill the container(s)?

Every morning.

4. What feed container(s) do you use?

Homemade hanging trough feeders. One 4', one 6' with a smaller spinning 3/4" pipe on a wire to prevent the large birds from getting on the feeders.
The bowl that the WLHs are at is a heated dog bow that I keep the fermented feed in.

5. What do they get besides regular feed? (Scraps, treats, feel free to be as specific as possible).

They get three handfuls of bird seed mixed with either mealworms or BSF larvae thrown out into their pen to get them out of my way for morning cleaning. I also cut up my apple cores and give them those and they get butternut squash, cantaloupe and other melon seeds when I process one. I've seen them catch and eat any number of frogs, snakes, moths, bugs and once an English swallow fledgling.

6. Does your method of feeding change in the winter months, if so, how?

I just make sure they go to roost with full crops and top up dry feeders so they can eat as soon as they come off the roost in the morning.

7. Anything else you’d like to add.

They get electrolytes added to their fermented feed during temperature extremes to help them through.

 

[Sally PB]

1. How old are the members of your flock(s) & what does it (do they) consist of?

Three year old hens, three two year old hens, one year old rooster.

2. What feed do they get?

Kalmbach non-GMO flock raiser, 20% protein.

3. How often do you fill/refill the container(s)?

I fill or top off bowls in the morning. Snacktime is mid-late afternoon, when I spend time in the run with the chickens.

4. What feed container(s) do you use?

Big rubber bowls from TSC.

5. What do they get besides regular feed? (Scraps, treats, feel free to be as specific as possible).

Oyster shell/egg shell on the side for the layers, and grit in a small bowl if they want it. Some veg/fruit scraps as treats, but their main "treat" is their regular feed mixed with water to make a mash. Great way to use up the powdery bits in the bottom of the bowl. Occasionally mealworms and BOSS, less occasionally (< 1x month) bread.

6. Does your method of feeding change in the winter months, if so, how?

I use a heated dog water bowl to keep their water from freezing. Their mash snack is warm in the winter.

7. Anything else you’d like to add.

A wet mash is a great way to get them some more liquid on hot days. I can also mix in some probiotics or electrolytes in extreme weather and be sure that they get it.

 

[NanaK]

1. How old are the members of your flock(s) & what does it (do they) consist of?

I have all chickens of various ages, 7 hens 7-9 yrs, 3 hens 4yrs,
7 hens 2yrs, 4 pullets 20wks, 1 cockerel 21wks.

2. What feed do they get?

Nutrena All Flock Pellet or Purina Flock Raiser Crumble, depending on what I can get and if I have chicks.

3. How often do you fill/refill the container(s)?

I try to keep enough in feeders for at least 3 days but I check them daily.

4. What feed container(s) do you use?

A 5 gallon bucket feeder, 2 smaller hanging feeders.

5. What do they get besides regular feed? (Scraps, treats, feel free to be as specific as possible).

Varies, mostly stuff from the veggie garden but sometimes scraps or scratch in small amounts.

6. Does your method of feeding change in the winter months, if so, how?

Other than their feed they get greens from the garden because that's mostly what we can grow here in winter. Sometimes a bit of scratch.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I was going to do a poll, but there are so many options…please leave a comment answering the following

How old are the members of your flock(s) & what does it (do they) consist of?
Flock : 2 year old
2 ea Isa,
1ea RIR
1ea BA
Next this year 3 ea smokey Pearl, 2 leghorn, 2 Calif whites, 3 EE and one surprise( in same bin) Wellsummer roo !?
2. What feed do they get?
Mix of all flock and chick starter 24/7 and wet feed every day.
3. How often do you fill/refill the container(s)?
Fill pvc tube feeder every week hand feed wet every day.
4. What feed container(s) do you use?
Oh my just about anything that's flat and small. Hanging waterers x 2, a terra Cotta plant coaster, a small hospital pink pan, corners of cement block that holds up waterer, top of foot stool, and black rubber feed pan, very small ceramic dish, and used fajita silver pan! The feed pans are last to be emptied!

5. What do they get besides regular feed? (Scraps, treats, feel free to be as specific as possible).
Once daily they get small amounts of floating fish food, boss, scratch, and kitchen scraps tossed in run.

6. Does your method of feeding change in the winter months, if so, how?
Water to make wet feed will be warmed up, and more grain in winter months maybe some warm oatmeal.
7. Anything else you’d like to add .
I had NO idea they would be so Wild about wet mash! I've fermented in past but it was never cleaned up like their wet feed and it's complete feed! They act like it's a treat!