How much food.....

[lizzy06019]

We have 26 chicks. They will be 8 weeks tomorrow

I have a 40 lbs feeder that I fill one every 2 weeks-ish?? I think we're going through 2 50lb bags of unmedicated chick starter a month. We also give treats everyday as well as a bit of cracked corn for scratching in their run. I'm hoping it slows down a bit as the DH rolls his eyes every time I say we need to go to the feed store for more food. I'm also trimming the flock down to 18ish... depending on how many good homes I can find for the roos and select girls.

 

[Lotsapaints]

I read someplace that it takes 85 pounds of feed to raise a laying hen they must eat it all in the first 3 months

 

[Keri78]

they will eat alot in the beginning but eventually it will taper off. I keep mine on the 20% starter chick feed until they are 10wks old and then switch them to a mix of Layena/Black Oil Sunflower Seeds/& Grain Scratch topped with a little oyster shell once they are of laying age. My egg layers free range everyday so this cuts WAAAAY down on their feed. I buy 50lb. bag of Layena, 50lb. bag of grain scratch, and a 20lb. bag of BOSS and this lasts me at least 2 months! This amount feeds...14 free rangers...and about 14 bantams and counting! Don't worry it does get cheaper...but just don't be like me and keep buying MORE chickens!

 

[MommyToThree]

I went to the feed store today and didn't come home with new chicks this time! My husband will be very happy!! (but I keep thinking about the two that they had that I really wanted soo bad!!) Oh well, I must admit that I must have a limit and according to hubby said limit was something like 3 chicks ago!! I never thought he would agree to any chickens so really I'm very lucky/blessed!! They had the kind that lays the really dark brown eggs! I have light brown layers and 3 easter eggers so the dark layer would make for a really cool looking egg mix! Oh well, next year I will get one after I see how this first year with chickens goes!! By the way, does anyone else drive their husband/wife nuts talking about chickens alot?? I'm so glad to have found this place so I can talk to some one who wants to hear about chickens.

 

[newchickens2009]

Quote:
This is exactly how I feel! I've been filling a 3lb feeder for a couple weeks now and it lasted for a few days. Then all of a sudden it's like they just can't get enough to eat. I was wondering if they were just scraching it around and in the process burring it up or were they all of a sudden eating like twice as much as the day before? Didn't want to start filling it twice a day if they were wasting it but, it sounds like I need to now after reading all the great info from you wonderful friends on here.

And yes the food store people do know me by name and one of the employees ask me last week if I had started a full blown chicken farm because it seems like I come in a hech of alot more that I use to.

Thanks again for the help!
God bless!
Tim