How long will a 50 lb bag of layer feed last!?

[debden]

Kidcallous wrote

I JUST convinced my husband to let me do this. His quote: "These chickenns better pay for themselves in eggs"


The only way I got my chickens was to promise my DH that I wouldn't get any more inside cats. I had four, but had to put 2 down within a month. I said "You got a deal".
I still have 2 inside cats, one 14, and one 19. I had always told him I HAVE to have chickens before I die

Jen

I have four cats three inside and one outside and the outside cat thinks the chickens are hers she watches over them all the time

 

[Shadrach]

I completed step one of becoming a mother hen. I bought all the 2x4's and fencing and chicken wire.

My question for today is this: I plan on having 3 - 4 standard sized chickens, leaning toward barred rocks and rhode island reds to start. No more than 4 chickens.

How long will a 50 lb bag of layer feed last for 3 or 4 chickens? I plan to give them our leftover vegetables/rice after dinner, and let them free range for about an hour in the late afternoon. What do you think??

About 130 grams (four and a half ounces) a day per bird.

 

[Blue gem]

I completed step one of becoming a mother hen. I bought all the 2x4's and fencing and chicken wire.

My question for today is this: I plan on having 3 - 4 standard sized chickens, leaning toward barred rocks and rhode island reds to start. No more than 4 chickens.

How long will a 50 lb bag of layer feed last for 3 or 4 chickens? I plan to give them our leftover vegetables/rice after dinner, and let them free range for about an hour in the late afternoon. What do you think??

 

[Blue gem]

About 130 grams (four and a half ounces) a day per bird.

I have 3 hens a barred rock, Rhode Island Red and a silver laced wyandotte. A 50 pd bag lasts them about 10 weeks. But they are loose in their pen part of the day and running the yard the other part of the day. They only go into their house at dusk.

 

[Carlyb22]

I have 4 that free range and we go through a 50lb bag every 6-8 weeks. We just added 4 chicks so we will need to start buying monthly!

 

[matheny00]

Oh and one more thing - we have a vegetable garden at the moment... When we've harvested all of the crops, can we feed the plants to the girls?
We have
Tomatoes
Watermelons
Butternut Squash
Radishes
Basil
Thyme
Peas
Cucumbers
Pablano peppers
If they can eat the plants once they have given their last fruit - well, even better!

No on any nightshade like tomatoes

 

[FunClucks]

Oh and one more thing - we have a vegetable garden at the moment... When we've harvested all of the crops, can we feed the plants to the girls?
We have
Tomatoes
Watermelons
Butternut Squash
Radishes
Basil
Thyme
Peas
Cucumbers
Pablano peppers
If they can eat the plants once they have given their last fruit - well, even better!

Consider letting them free range over the veggie garden once you're done with it. They can eat anything that is not moldy. Old, shriveled, dried out, you name it, they can eat it, I stay away from mold because some kinds can kill them. Now, will they eat it? Who knows? Chickens are weird.

I keep mine confined, have 26 chickens (21 hens) and go through about 1 50 lb bag of feed a week. Too many predators to free range.

 

[Blue gem]

ok I don't know for sure since I have nearly 200 chickens and go through 8 to 9 bags of feed every 2 weeks so I would say 1 bag for 4 birds maybe 3 weeks

Kidcallous wrote

I JUST convinced my husband to let me do this. His quote: "These chickenns better pay for themselves in eggs"


The only way I got my chickens was to promise my DH that I wouldn't get any more inside cats. I had four, but had to put 2 down within a month. I said "You got a deal".
I still have 2 inside cats, one 14, and one 19. I had always told him I HAVE to have chickens before I die

Jen

When I had just 3-5 I went through a 50 pd bag every 2 -3 months but my chickens free range.