How much feed to poults need

[NY Coturnix]

I apologize if I'm asking something that's been covered but my 4 week poults seem to be eating machines. I have 6 BB and 8 heritage in one 8 x 20 grow out pen. I've been leaving food so that they can eat whenever they want to. I bought 2 40# bags of Gamebird Turkey crumble the day before I got them thinking it would last me about 8 weeks when I'd switch to a lower protein. I just used the last of bag #2 this morning. Is that normal for 14 birds or am I over feeding them? The BB are obviously eating more but it I just want to make sure it's okay to have food available 24/7. They seem to be active and healthy.

Thanks

 

[R2elk]

I apologize if I'm asking something that's been covered but my 4 week poults seem to be eating machines. I have 6 BB and 8 heritage in one 8 x 20 grow out pen. I've been leaving food so that they can eat whenever they want to. I bought 2 40# bags of Gamebird Turkey crumble the day before I got them thinking it would last me about 8 weeks when I'd switch to a lower protein. I just used the last of bag #2 this morning. Is that normal for 14 birds or am I over feeding them? The BB are obviously eating more but it I just want to make sure it's okay to have food available 24/7. They seem to be active and healthy.

Thanks

I always keep feed available to all my poultry 24/7. If you are concerned that something else might be helping itself to the feed, there is nothing wrong with removing the feed during the night.

Your feed usage does seem excessive. At one point I was feeding 28 poults. I still have more than half of a 50 lb. sack remaining and the oldest poults are about 3 weeks old. I am down to 18 poults right now and am only refilling their feeder once a day..

 

[NY Coturnix]

I always keep feed available to all my poultry 24/7. If you are concerned that something else might be helping itself to the feed, there is nothing wrong with removing the feed during the night.

Your feed usage does seem excessive. At one point I was feeding 28 poults. I still have more than half of a 50 lb. sack remaining and the oldest poults are about 3 weeks old. I am down to 18 poults right now and am only refilling their feeder once a day..

Thank you. I've been using 2 of those small feeders that I used in the brooder and have noticed the feed it all over the ground. I got a larger 10# feeder yesterday and will try removing it at night to let them clean up the spilled feed.

 

[R2elk]

Thank you. I've been using 2 of those small feeders that I used in the brooder and have noticed the feed it all over the ground. I got a larger 10# feeder yesterday and will try removing it at night to let them clean up the spilled feed.

If the spilled feed gets cleaned up at night, it isn't the poults eating it.

 

[NY Coturnix]

oh okay.

 

[R2elk]

oh okay.

I set my feeder on a board so the spilled feed does not get mixed in with the bedding. The poults will eat from the feeder and from the pecked out feed a lot better than they will with the feed mixed in with the bedding.

 

[Molpet]

I found about 10lbs of feed hidden by rodents when I moved a couple storage containers in the poultry yard.

 

[Geena]

I apologize if I'm asking something that's been covered but my 4 week poults seem to be eating machines. I have 6 BB and 8 heritage in one 8 x 20 grow out pen. I've been leaving food so that they can eat whenever they want to. I bought 2 40# bags of Gamebird Turkey crumble the day before I got them thinking it would last me about 8 weeks when I'd switch to a lower protein. I just used the last of bag #2 this morning. Is that normal for 14 birds or am I over feeding them? The BB are obviously eating more but it I just want to make sure it's okay to have food available 24/7. They seem to be active and healthy.

Thanks

You ain't seen nothing yet. Heritage turkeys don't eat all that much, but the BB eat astounding amounts of food as they grow.

 

[Skipper7410]

I thought my BR poults were eating me out of house and home..turns out they're knocking the feeder over and spilling more than they eat lol. Had to fix that today

 

[Carson213]

i free feed and use no bedding. if they are wasting it...close the feeder for the day and they'll eat it all up off of the floor