how much grain to hand feed chickens?

[Higg275]

Hi! I have 8 chickens in a moveable chicken tracker over nice grass. I am tired of watching the rodents eat the chicken's grain each night. I would like to hand feed, mid-day, to reduce waste. Ideally, the food tray would be empty by evening. I could either toss the food on the ground. (It is a meal, so this may not be ideal). Or, I can put it in their feeder each day. But, what I would like to know is...how much grain does one, young, layer chicken need, if they have access to new grass each day? Thank you!

 

[KingD]

I don't have a photo. They eat from a new patch of grass each day (backyard chickens, so a typical home. Lots of clover, though.) And I feed them a layer-meal. I don't want to get too technical. I'm just wondering, do I give them two cups of meal? Four cups of meal? 16 cups of meal (haha)? Is there an average estimate of how much meal laying hens need to receive, if they also have access to grass, clover and worms/bugs? Roughly?

Just hang up a feeder of layers feed 24/7. Chickens will only eat as much as they need. Most people have one out for them the hole time and just top it up as and when it needs it.
By hanging it, the rodents cant get to it.

 

[Sheepheart]

Chickens are grazers, which means they do best with free choice of feed. Try hanging feeders away from edges and high enough that your chickens can eat but not the rodents.

If you don’t already you may want to look at getting a barn cat to help. I know a lot of people don’t like the idea of a barn cat when they have chickens, but if you get it as a kitten and raise it with the chickens (this works best when you have chicks in a brooder) it should as an adult recognize chickens as part of its family’s and hang around them, which would help with incoming rodents

 

[Kiki]

I don't have a photo. They eat from a new patch of grass each day (backyard chickens, so a typical home. Lots of clover, though.) And I feed them a layer-meal. I don't want to get too technical. I'm just wondering, do I give them two cups of meal? Four cups of meal? 16 cups of meal (haha)? Is there an average estimate of how much meal laying hens need to receive, if they also have access to grass, clover and worms/bugs? Roughly?

About 3/4 cup of feed per bird per day.
No less.

Are you calling meal the feed and grain something else?

Can you get a picture of your meal and your grain?

 

[Sheepheart]

Thanks everyone!! These techniques aren’t working for us for various reasons. Is there a known estimated amount of grain-meal that chickens need to eat in a day when they also have access to grass and bugs? Obviously it would just be an estimate. And I could adjust as needed. Thanks for any rough estimates you can provide.

You may check the feed your feeding, some will have feeding directions that day this much grain for a bird

 

[KingD]

Hi! I have 8 chickens in a moveable chicken tracker over nice grass. I am tired of watching the rodents eat the chicken's grain each night. I would like to hand feed, mid-day, to reduce waste. Ideally, the food tray would be empty by evening. I could either toss the food on the ground. (It is a meal, so this may not be ideal). Or, I can put it in their feeder each day. But, what I would like to know is...how much grain does one, young, layer chicken need, if they have access to new grass each day? Thank you!

What is their main source of food?
Do you have a picture?

 

[Higg275]

I don't have a photo. They eat from a new patch of grass each day (backyard chickens, so a typical home. Lots of clover, though.) And I feed them a layer-meal. I don't want to get too technical. I'm just wondering, do I give them two cups of meal? Four cups of meal? 16 cups of meal (haha)? Is there an average estimate of how much meal laying hens need to receive, if they also have access to grass, clover and worms/bugs? Roughly?

 

[Higg275]

Thanks everyone!! These techniques aren’t working for us for various reasons. Is there a known estimated amount of grain-meal that chickens need to eat in a day when they also have access to grass and bugs? Obviously it would just be an estimate. And I could adjust as needed. Thanks for any rough estimates you can provide.

 

[Higg275]

About 3/4 cup of feed per bird per day.
No less.

Are you calling meal the feed and grain something else?

Can you get a picture of your meal and your grain?

Thank you! I decided to feed them throughout the day and simply count how much they consumed. And, interestingly...it is 6:45 p.m....and they just finished eating 3/4 cups per bird exactly! So if I give them 1 cup per bird that would likely be enough. I imagine needs will change with weather, too, but this is a good starting place. Thank you!

 

[Sheepheart]

Thank you! I decided to feed them throughout the day and simply count how much they consumed. And, interestingly...it is 6:45 p.m....and they just finished eating 3/4 cups per bird exactly! So if I give them 1 cup per bird that would likely be enough. I imagine needs will change with weather, too, but this is a good starting place. Thank you!

That was a good idea!