How much feed?

[cherrynberry]

My sister and I have been having disputes over this. I believe that our 13 hens should eat less than 1/2 cup per hen because they have a ton of grass and free range. So I usually feed around 3-4 cups and add water to it to ferment for a few minutes. I have tried fermenting directly, but sifting it everyday has grown tiresome and if I don’t soften it with water, my hens seem to choke a little on it. My sister thinks we should feed 4-5 cups and sometimes 6. So I am wondering what we SHOULD feed. Open to ideas!

 

[FuzzyCritters]

They should have free choice feed. Chickens are good a regulating feed and will not overeat. If you are really set on feeding once per day, they should have as much as they can eat in 15 minutes.

 

[Brooks_]

Mine get all they want, but that's dry. With wet feed maybe all they can eat in 20 minutes twice a day?

 

[cherrynberry]

They should have free choice feed. Chickens are good a regulating feed and will not overeat. If you are really set on feeding once per day, they should have as much as they can eat in 15 minutes.

That’s the thing is that they free range so they do have food during that time. So I don’t want to feed them all they can eat and have them be too full for grass.

 

[Brooks_]

That’s the thing is that they free range so they do have food during that time. So I don’t want to feed them all they can eat and have them be too full for grass.

I don't think they will be, at least not for long. The important thing is that they get enough of a complete ration.

 

[PioneerChicks]

I let mine free range throughout the day and feed them fermented feed in the evening right before dark. I have adjusted so that there is just a little bit of extra feed left after they go to bed. Chickens don't overeat. See how much they want, and follow their rule!

 

[FuzzyCritters]

That’s the thing is that they free range so they do have food during that time. So I don’t want to feed them all they can eat and have them be too full for grass.

I free feed mine and free range. I have never had a problem with them not ranging.

 

[AntiqueB]

I give them moistened feed in the morning, letting them eat for about a half hour before I let them out of the run. I want to be sure they get the vitamins and minerals in the feed. They get smaller moistened meals throughout the day, and dry in the late afternoon, so I can use any leftovers the next day.

While they pretty much have free choice food all day, they eat a lot more during the winter than summer. I've already had to adjust to even smaller meals, and it's barely green out there. My experience is that they eat what they find free-ranging first, then go to their food dish if they don't find enough.

 

[cherrynberry]

Thanks to all the replies

 

[rjohns39]

If it helps in your calculations, the pro's who move their birds to fresh grass daily and seek maximum egg production with minimum feed have worked it out to 4 1/2 oz of feed per bird per day. They typically feed a third to half in the morning right after moving them and the remainder about an hour before dark.