For meals, I have always gone by the rule of if they clean up the food in 1/2 hour, it was enough. If after that time there is some left, take it up if you need to. Is there a reason, such as rats or other birds, to take away the food?
i'm going to start free feeding themChickens should eat all the good food you can give them. All day long! In the wild, chickens eat during the daylight hours, rest when they get full or hot, and stop eating at dusk! Listen to Mother Nature!or Papa Nature!
no birds or rats
Have they eaten every single green thing in their yard?
Good! That is the usual reason to take the food inside.
not yet i just moved their area because they killed ALL their grasHave they eaten every single green thing in their yard?
That doesn’t sound right. You need to leave food down for your chicks enough for all day. This is fresh food and fresh water. They won’t over eat. If you think they are taking in too much at one time you can always take the food up briefly and give them a little break but then put it back down. They shouldn’t normally overstuff themselves unless they have been starved or held too long away from food and that is just wrong. A baby chick should never be considered as needing to lose weight. I kept my babies in my house and left food down day and night with no problems. Mine would eat some during the night because I left a lamp on in the room they were setup in but they never overate.
Good! Chickens love grass. They will scratch it down to the roots and eat the roots, too, if they are hungry. Green stuff is good for them, as is the dirt and rocks that they get.
And lizards, in AZ!
Just a little extra protein!
