How Much Do Chickens Really Eat?

[redoak]

My 24 week old orpingtons who are all laying are eating about 1 pound per chicken per week. They also get plenty of treats.

 

[MamaDragon]

We've got 9 chickens grown, and 5 chicks (age 4 wks)...... and they free-range.

That said, right now I'm only filling a 2 gallon feeder with pellets once a week. When I have to keep them locked up - weather, not home, etc.... they'll empty that feeder at least twice a week. I also give them 1/2 lb. of scratch and dry dog food as a treat every day.

The adults LOVE to steal as much of the chick starter feed as they can manage. The three chicks that we have in an outdoor cage still are emptying a quart feeder twice a day....(Note to self - buy a bigger feeder!)

We solved the squirrel/mice problem by getting galvanized metal trash cans with tight lids, store them inside the run. The hens use them as perches in the daytime, and no loss to weather or varmits. Chickens LOVE mice btw.

The neighbor has 55 gal plastic drums (also with tight lids), and they'll hold over 100 lbs of feed. Warning: the birds will night roost on these, and they can get messy. Opening them when covered with "stuff" can get interesting, trying NOT to spill into the feed.

Kathy

 

[Firemedic442]

I must be doing it wrong? Mine get about 2-1/2 to 3 of the #10 cans full of laying feed. A #10 can full of cracked corn. All the mulberrys they can eat and a free range grass garden. Plus table and garden scraps. Am I feeding too little? I have about 50 mature laying hens and 20 that are about 16wks old I just put in with the laying hens. I have never weighed it.

 

[Roddyrarebreeds]

Haveing flouted trios off rarebreeds I use a simple feed ing Methodist one hand full for the hen to eat on for the crop that I have found is a good meathead

 

[chixmix]

Haveing flouted trios off rarebreeds I use a simple feed ing Methodist one hand full for the hen to eat on for the crop that I have found is a good meathead

lol, that is some interesting autocorrect there!!

 

[chad-o]

lol, that is some interesting autocorrect there!!

I agree LOL
I think it should be a rule that we never discuss politics or religion. LOL
By the way autocorrect is two words!! LOL
Great that we can laugh at our selves.

 

[cockoftherock]

lol, that is some interesting autocorrct there!!

Thank god they are rare christians thought the lions were bad imagine. getting ur eyes peeped out and them spurs poor methodists

 

[mandydj]

My goodness, I never thought about measuring out the food./img/smilies/hu.gif

I have over 100 chickens in different age groups and I feed about 250 lbs of pellets and crumbles a week plus most of them free range.

I bought some new birds and brought them home from the breeder and they ate pretty much non stop for the first 2 weeks. They have finally slowed down but I never limit food.

I have never had a fat chicken and I refuse to have a skinny one./img/smilies/love.gif


Have you dewormed them?

I always add DE and red pepper flakes to water and food once a week. I also put Apple Cider vinegar in their water with a bit of garlic. Healthy birds are happy birds.

Oh, and they get table scraps plus extra stuff from the garden.

Why do you put all that stuff in their water? I'm just wondering if it makes them healthy how? Thanks

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Wow, that post was 6 years ago!
Since that time I have grown considerably. My summer average is around 700 birds and I sell down to around 400 for the winter, depending on what I am showing.

The DE I still add to the food. It is really good to help with the intestinal worms when they have it going through their body. It has sharp edges that can kill the worms if they are latched onto the walls of the intestine or in the gizzard. I have heard folks say it helps with gape worm but haven't experienced that myself. The red pepper flakes are also a natural dewormer, along with pumpkin seeds.

Right now I do not use ACV because it did not help as much as I would like so I use the Avian Super Pack that I get from Jeffers. Best vitamin pack I have found so far. Makes my chicks and breeder birds really vigorous.

 

[shell80]

hi guys,


im still new to this with very little experience.

im wondering how much do chickens eat?

theyre fully grown and it seems to me....the more i feed, the MORE they eat!


they dont STOP, they only Slow down...but all day long they EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i usually put aprox 100 Grams of chicken feed a day in a feeder


and when i come home...its all GONE....i dont know if other birds steal them also


but theyre always willing to eat watever i give them


when do u stop?

i am currently feeding my 3 chickens 20 kg bag in a little over a week..iam not sure how much the wild birds are getting of the feed ?