How much do your laying hens eat?

[sbarab]

Anyone know about how much your hens eat?

Mine (17 - 22 week old pullets, 3 hens & 5 roos) were getting about 1 gallon of Layena a day (I know crazy measurement but I use a 2 quart pitcher to scoop and carry the feed) + table scraps and garden leftovers and an occasional scratch treat.

We harvested 3 of the roos 2 weeks ago and they were totally packed w/ feed. So I backed the remaining off to 1/2 gallon of Layena a day + table scraps, garden leftovers and scratch treats.

Only the 3 hens & 1 of the pullets have been laying and were laying fine until last Wednesday. No eggs since!

Nobody appears to be molting and all seem to be in good health. Wormed everyone last Monday.

I wish the Layena bag would give feeding amounts like Purina feeds do for horses. Seems to me 1/2 cup of feed per bird per day w/o any scraps or treats would be appropriate.

 

[cmom]

I fill keep my feeder full so they always have feed available. I buy a 50lb bag probably once a month.

 

[sbarab]

How many do you have?

I have been using a 50 lb bag per week.

 

[cmom]

40 birds

 

[briteday]

18 pullets and hens, 6 silkie bantams...100 pounds per month...comes out to 2.22 ounces per day (given 30 days in a month)

My birds also have a fairly large outdoor run in the pasture (not much to eat but sagebrush) about 80' x 20'. They also get greens from the grocery about 3-4 days per week, spent veggie garden plants right now almost daily, and I keep alfalfa cubes on hand to re-hydrate when fresh greens are slim. Maybe twice per week I go out to watch the sunset fromt he pasture and take them a 1 cup measure of cracked corn.

 

[chookchick]

My six hens only go through a 16 oz cup of food per day--that's what I put in their feeder to top if off every night. (Not sure how much that weighs). It does not seem to be a much food to me--in return for 4-5 eggs! They also get weeds, grass clippings, vegetable trimmings, spent corn cobs, soft fruit, some bird seed and scratch.

ETA--hey that comes out to 2.66 ounces per hen per day, awfully close to briteday's, and my hens are all large layers!

 

[sbarab]

Wow. Definitely wide variences in feed amounts.