How long does a 50 lb bag of food last?

[WVChickenFarmer]

I'm just curious how long a 50 lb bag lasts everyone. I have 17 chickens and a 50 lb bag of food lasts me maybe a 1 month if I am lucky. My dad acts like I am feeding them to much.

He also has 17 chickens and we both bought a 50 lb bag at the exact same time which was 2 months ago. He told me couple weeks ago he was still feeding from that same bag.
Well I have bought at least 2 more 50 lbs in last 2 months. He keeps telling me that they only need like 20 oz of food a day. He also lets his free range all day but I do not.

Do you think his might be eating less because they are out free ranging all day, or am I just feeding to much? I don't have like a scoop so I give them like a 45 oz butter container full of food each day.

 

[speckledhen]

If his are free ranging, yes, they are finding a good portion of their feed while out and about. If yours have only their feed you give them, they will certainly go through more.

 

[Reyvaughn]

I have over 80 chickens and all but 7 free range. I am going through over 50lbs a week. I have some wasteful chickens in the outdoor run, brooder and Cochin Cage. I sucked up about 15lbs of feed out of the Cochin Cage and about 5lbs out of the brooder today. I was not happy. I also give them table scraps almost daily.

 

[carrlr]

Yes, if you free range they would go through less feed. Although we have just a few more birds than you and go through around 50 lbs. per month too. Ours get some free ranging, but it is limited.

 

[featherz]

with 50 chickens, most of which free range, I go through roughly 50lb/week, sometimes less. Maybe 3.5 bags a month.

 

[orpingtonbabies]

hmm... I'd say it lasts me about 2 months, but I only have 8 chooks... They must be eating a lot right now because they're just growing so quickly! especially my silkie roo! They're all 18 weeks today. Anyways.. If I have roughly half as many chickens as you, we're going at the same rate! i don't think I'm overfeeding.. mine free-range, but they really don't like to go too far from home so they don't forage as much as they would if they were far away from the food I give them. And I just had a worker from my uncles farm tell me that they're too skinny to lay and I need to fatten them up. But their food is always full so they're eating as much as they want!!!

 

[WVChickenFarmer]

I do let mine out to free range also. But they are not out all day. So I guess I am doing ok on the feed then. They also get cracked corn & some table scraps.

Edit to add mine have not wasted any feed here lately but I also have at least 2 hens laying right now. I think they are eating more then the others.

 

[Ogress]

I think how long the bag lasts also depends on the type of food they are given
I have about 40 chickens of various ages. All my mature birds free-range (18). I go through about 50 pounds of food per week. The food I use is a locally grown organic mash, very powdery, and I think a lot of it gets wasted. When I clean the coop, I find lots of it under the shavings on the floor. When I feed pellets or crumbles, the food lasts almost twice as long.

 

[vjbakke]

We have 6 hens that do not free range, they get grass and snacks in the run. Right now a 50lb bag lasts us just over a month. In the colder weather it will be a month or less.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Our "range" is very burnt up from the hot, dry summer. The food available for them just isn't there. Thus, 17 of my chickens would go through a 50 in far less than a month. Which shows how ranging for additional food is great, but sometimes, there's very little to be had.