How Much layer?? How much Scratch??

[ShannonS]

My chickens are in a large dirt/rock floored pen. They also have an shed/coop to lay in. I have 20 hens and a rooster. The hens are 3 buffs, 6 black ast. 6 RIR, 5 White leghorns, and a new hamp roo. How much 16% layer per day and scratch? Al are 1 year old.
thanks,

 

[speckledhen]

They actually need no scratch. Leave out layer pellets 24/7. Most folks do, I think. Are they laying already? You didn't say.

 

[Chris09]

I full feed my Laying hens, and chicks there is feed in there feder 24/7 ...
Chris

 

[gritsar]

I keep layer feed available 24/7. If I have some scratch they get it occasionally, but it's not something I run out and buy because they are out of it.
Right now they are finishing up a box of Special K that none of us humans wanted to finish.

 

[ShannonS]

Yes they are laying. I always heard to just use scratch as a treat. So I will now go buy an auto feeder and let them have access to their layer 24/7. the guy at the feed store said i dont need oysters because it was in the layer. I took his word for it. They stay in a pen but I let them out every afternoon/evening for about 2 hours. is this good for them? I am new to this!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
My layer feed also has calcium in it, something like 3 or 4%. I noticed a big difference when I stopped using oyster shell. The shells were still good and solid, but not nearly as strong as they were when I offered the OS. My girls now have oyster shell again.

 

[danielbrown]

Quote:
A free range chicken is a happy chicken. Just watch out for predators that will eat your chickens.

 

[al6517]

Yes 24/7 on the layer feed & water, but you can just feed scratch as a treat every now and then, by just throwing a few handfuls out to them and let them scratch around get excercise and releive boredom.

AL

 

[ShannonS]

thanks so much. This has answered all of my questions. They have an average of 13 eggs a day since I have owned them. 2 weeks. Is this a pretty good average?
thanks!

 

[peakpoultry]

I have a question about feed now that I was reading this post. So chickens don't need scratch all the time? I give mine layer and scratch, should I just be giving them cracked corn and layer?? Mine are free range, we have way to many wild animals and snakes around to let them roam free.