How much food?

[new2chickens2011]

Soo......this is kind of stupid, seeing as I've had my chickens for a while now, but I don't actually know HOW MUCH food I should Technically be giving them!!?? I mean, they have enough (I have four hens)...they get a large scoop ful and then they free range too.....but is there a specific amount you are supposed to feed them? Or is it just kind of dependent on stuff like free ranging, etc. Oh, and they are laying hens, about 14 weeks old.
Thank you and sorry if that was really stupid!

 

[FiveHens]

No worries

. Laying hens should always have food available to them. If they are free-ranging and get a lot of scraps, they probably won't eat much. If they stay in their run, they'll probably eat the layer pellets/crumbles almost exclusively. So, for this reason, it's important to buy them decent quality layer pellets/crumbles--because it constitutes a large part of their diet, and they need the right vitamins and nutrients to lay. They're not like some dogs or other domesticated animals: they won't eat too much. It's easiest to put the food in one of those hanging feeders, so that you don't have to refill it all the time, but it's always there for them. They also need grit & oyster shell available to them to constitute a complete diet (although no need for grit if you free-range).