How Much Food

[MommaK6]

I am going to post this over in a chicken board as well, but I am curious as to how much food you would think I would go through for my 20 feathered friends.

We have 9 full size hens, 8 of which are 13 weeks old, 1 that is 9 weeks old. Then, we have 9 bantams that are also 9 weeks old. Our 2 ducks are 9 weeks as well.

Exact breeds: 13 Weekers-3 EEs, golden laced wyandotte, barred rock, speckled sussex, 2 RIRs. 9 Weeker is a Buff Orp. 9 week bantams consist of: 1 OEGB, 2 blue silkies, 1 white silkie, 1 black silkie, 2 d'uccles, white tailed black japanese and a golden sebright. Ducks are cayugas.

They free-range in our yard from 6:30am until 8:30pm......constant access to food within their coop. They also get snacks everyday of whatever we don't use up in our kitchen.

So....how long should a 50lb bag of feed last? Feed goes into a 30lb feeder.

 

[Amiga]

Hmmm, cannot say about chickens, but my runners go through about a third of a pound of layer feed a day, each, when they are laying. A little less when they are not. It varies quite a bit with how much they forage for themselves and how much veggie salad I give them.

 

[MommaK6]

I just bought a 50# bag and put just over half of it into a 30 pound feeder.....that was....Tuesday? Wednesday? The feeder is nearly empty already. I was just surprised how fast it went though.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

If we do the math we can see where you are at in pounds per bird per day. You have 20 birds and 25lbs of feed is lasting on average 5 days, which means they are eating 5 lbs a day or 1/4 each per day, which is roughly correct if they aren't foraging much.

If you put it out in a large feeder that is available all the time...the poultry and ducks may not be the only things eating it...even in your coop. You may not see them, but if you have any rats or mice they will eat quite a bit of your feed.

How large an area do they range in and what is the ground cover? If they are good foragers and have plenty of things to eat while ranging, their pellet consumption should drop.

Each spring I purchase and release 1,000 crickets into the grass/gardens/orchard on my property to make sure the population stays high for the birds. If you supplement with kitchen scraps that will help a bit and I also raise meal worms, grow special things for them in the garden like sunflowers, and extra pumpkins/winter squash: Anything to help cut the feed bill a bit.

My birds only seem to eat about 1/8 lb per bird per day this time of year based on my feed bill (buy 12 bags of feed a month). Of course the geese eat less (unless it is breeding season) and the turkeys eat more, but they seem to balance each other out. I know it can be expensive, especially with the way feed prices soared over the past two years, but it is just the reality of raising these birds.

Good luck with your feathered friends!

 

[MommaK6]

If we do the math we can see where you are at in pounds per bird per day. You have 20 birds and 25lbs of feed is lasting on average 5 days, which means they are eating 5 lbs a day or 1/4 each per day, which is roughly correct if they aren't foraging much.

If you put it out in a large feeder that is available all the time...the poultry and ducks may not be the only things eating it...even in your coop. You may not see them, but if you have any rats or mice they will eat quite a bit of your feed.
I never thought about other little creatures eating their feed. That is totally possible, as the coop door it totally open during the day. A mouse could access the coop when the door is closed as well.

How large an area do they range in and what is the ground cover?
We are on 2 acres. They have grass, berries, raspberries......
If they are good foragers and have plenty of things to eat while ranging, their pellet consumption should drop.

Each spring I purchase and release 1,000 crickets into the grass/gardens/orchard on my property to make sure the population stays high for the birds. If you supplement with kitchen scraps that will help a bit and I also raise meal worms, grow special things for them in the garden like sunflowers, and extra pumpkins/winter squash: Anything to help cut the feed bill a bit.

My birds only seem to eat about 1/8 lb per bird per day this time of year based on my feed bill (buy 12 bags of feed a month). Of course the geese eat less (unless it is breeding season) and the turkeys eat more, but they seem to balance each other out. I know it can be expensive, especially with the way feed prices soared over the past two years, but it is just the reality of raising these birds.

Good luck with your feathered friends!