How much feed?

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I am curious about that 10% number. I guess it depends on what would be considered a treat. Are fresh fruits and veggies considered treats?.If so then I am definitely guilty. Those things I have been feeding daily in some quantity. I use hanging feeders 1-12# and 1-30# which I never put more than a couple inches of feed in at a time. I check it a couple times a day and usually put about 16 cups of food out in the morning and sometimes in the evening. The 2 feeders service 24 birds ranging from 18-22 weeks. I have never really seen it empty but I know their intake is increasing as they grow and the evenings are becoming cooler so they are happier in the morning.
I know this because I just got feed today. The bag they just finished lasted 2 weeks, the bag prior to that lasted 3 weeks.
That means that each bird is averaging 1/2 a pound of feed a week. Does that sound about right?
Everyone is well feathered and appear to be thriving and as I said I can see the effect the summer has had as far as perhaps a little slower to grow and lay. 110+.is stressful on me so I am sure it was slowing them some. I use the fresh stuff in quantities to help stimulate their appetites in the mornings and usually cold fruit to help them cool off in the late afternoon to again get them going before they bed down. Mornings are either greens or maybe corn on Tue coz if it is cheap. You break 4 ears of corn into 3 pieces each for 2 dozen birds and it is just enough to whet their appetites.
1 large head of lettuce or cabbage shredded or a couple heads of romaine shredded doesn't last long and after a short preen the next thing you see is everyone working the feeders.
Afternoons are usually fruit. Again 12oz of blueberries, or a pound or so of grapes doesn't last long either. The fruit and raw sunflower seeds enable me to do a good daily inspection and actually probably allows me to observe what the actual pecking order is within the group.
So are greens considered treats or a form of forage.

I personally think real food is better than rations, my birds diet is about 1/3 ration and the rest is freed range and anything else I feed them throughout the day, my flock is quite robust and healthy, I pursue a different way of feeding, I keep heritage breeds, sex links don't do well with this type of feeding, they seem to need a higher protein ration because of the amount of eggs they lay. So take what you learn and apply what you think than see how your chickens do, if it's working for you than do it.

 

[desertrocks]

Treats are anything other than a nutritionally complete and balanced feed. Fruits and veggies are treats, they are very low in protein. Too many treats can upset the nutritional balance needed for healthy growth, development, and production. Too many treats can also cause protein deficiencies which can lead to egg eating and feather picking. It can also make them fat. Obese chickens can die from heart, kidney, or liver failure. My birds eat about 2 and half pounds of flock raiser feed per bird, each week. When they can range, they eat about half that, but it's always there if they want it. First thing in the morning, chickens shouldn't need any 'wetting' of the appetite. They spent the whole night digesting the contents of their crops and have been without anything for several hours. They should be hungry, and a hungry chicken will eat anything. Save the goodies for later in the day, after they've eaten a good portion of feed.

Good info, this is why I love this site. by the way I mis calculated. #50 feed 24 birds 2 weeks is a pound a week each. The summer heat here is extremely intense and 95 degrees at 6am is not unusual so the fruit was as much for the water content as anything else. This is our first season at this so to a certain extent we started out "flying by the seat of our pants" but we have always have been a quick learner so we soak info in like a sponge, process it and use what fits the situation. What you have told me will certainly be put into effect for the reasons you stated as this current chicken project is comprised of mostly BSL's whose primary function is to lay eggs.
We have the space to do more so we are planning on addng a couple of Heritage Breeds of purebreds next year which will most likely be kept on mainly balanced feed from the start. Even though we somehow managed to get everyone this far, we DO NOT plan on raising week old chicks starting in May again with week old birds and 4 weeks later adding 20 more 5 week old birds.
This time we are looking at probably December and January hatches for whichever pure we decide to work with.