How Much Feed Could a Young Chook Chuck?

[Diavolicchio]

I'm wondering if there's a reasonably reliable way to calculate how much feed a year-old hen will require in a given year. Assume the hen is a Standard, is outside for six hours/day getting some of her food and nutrients from eating grass, bugs, etc. Also assume that she's living up North (Maine) where there isn't much grass to munch on outdoors from Halloween through April Fools Day.

I'm trying to figure out just how much feed I'd go through in a given year with a whole flock, so I thought I'd just start with the numbers for one hen and multiply it out.

By the way, I'll be feeding the hen a regular diet of Nature's Best Organic Egg Layer Pellets.


Thanks for the info!



John

 

[Marlinchaser]

Standard hen should eat about 1/4lb of food a day, but will probably eat more duriing the winter.

 

[Amethyste]

I have 9 standard sized chickens, al female. 7 pullets and 2 hens.

Between them all, they have an 11 pound feeder that gets completely filled form empty maybe every 4 days.

Thats when I allow it to get down that low....I usually top it off when it starts looking low. I get a 50# bag of food and it lasts me about a month or 5 weeks, depending on how much other food they get...as in leftovers/yard clippings/bugs etc. It also varies to the time of year....summer they dont eat quite as many pellets as they do fresh greens and things and stuff.

 

[Organics North]

My organic layer bag says .3 lbs per day per chicken. (Pretty generic, but a guideline.) Personally it is not what they eat but what the do not eat! Wasting feed needs to be dealt with. I went though a lot of feed until I fixed the problem of the chickens billing it all out onto the floor.

ON

 

[Diavolicchio]

Quote:
Based upon Marlinchaser's estimate of 4 ounces/day, more in the winter, I did basic calculations based on 4 ounces/day/chicken for 7 months of the year (when they could graze), and 6 ounces/day/chicken for the 5 months of they year when there isn't much grass. That gave me a cumulative average for the year of 0.302 lbs per day, per chicken. Pretty darn close to the 0.3 lbs suggested on your organic layer bag! I guess I'll go with this multiplier. . .

How did you fix the problem of the chickens spilling the feed out onto the floor? Do you sit there pointing a loaded gun while they eat?

John

P.S. Thanks to you too, Marlinchaser!

 

[Diavolicchio]

Quote:
Thanks for the input. I'm not quite sure how to apply these numbers to my situation, because you have a mixture of hens and pullets. I appreciate it though.


John

 

[Amethyste]

Quote:
Thanks for the input. I'm not quite sure how to apply these numbers to my situation, because you have a mixture of hens and pullets. I appreciate it though.


John

the numbers were about the same when I had all hens and all pullets....

the pullets did eat slightly more tho. this was 5 years ago tho...but on average they ate a 50# bag a month.

They still do with the mix.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Thanks for the input. I'm not quite sure how to apply these numbers to my situation, because you have a mixture of hens and pullets. I appreciate it though.


John

You'll need to have a mix of hens and pullets too if you want to have a steady supply of eggs. I am pretty much constantly hatching and adding to my flocks to keep the eggs coming and even then when they molt and it gets cold the eggs are few and far between. "Teen" chickens I have found to eat much more than what an adult hen will eat. I don't remember if you're planning on freeranging or not. If you are going to keep them confined to a run I wouldn't count on having a constant supply of grass. It does not take too many chickens to completely wipe out a grassy area.