⠀ How do you know your chickens are getting the nutrition needed

[kakievans]

I have about 30 chickens from newborn to about 18 months they are in several coops. In my big coop I have a 30 gallon feeder that gives them continued access to food, a watering system that supplies fresh water continuous , cracked corn as treat and vegetation from my garden. They are growing but they look thin and most always act like they are starving when I enter the coop. Some fly up on me to get to the extra food I'm bring in. How do you know if they are getting enough nutrition?

 

[enola]

Are you keeping the feeder full? If you go in your coop and there is food in the feeder, they are not starving.

I free feed my hens. This means there is always feed available for them. They STILL act like they are starving.

Another point - treats should not be more than 10% of their daily food intake. Be sparing with corn, it is very low in nutrition.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If your using a grower feed or the like then they have all they need. Limit the cracked corn, scratch to a handful treat.

I'm guessing you have layers. They are skinny by design. By not needing to consume extra feed to maintain a larger body mass they more efficiently convert feed to eggs. Production layers are extremely efficient and provide baskets full of eggs. When I had layers they would lay nine days straight or more then take a day off, then back at it. Hatcheries provide layers and they did it by introducing Leghorn type to the various breeds they sell. Consumers want eggs and as long as the bird purchased resembles the breed they are happy.