How much should I be feeding my chickens?

[Iamaqte]

Alright I have had my chickens since May.. They are big, healthy, and active...... Now here is my dilemma.....

My chickens free Range from about 7 am till dark - which is now around 7 p.m. I constantly see them eating grass, bugs, etc. Well I feed them in the morning.. They eat till their hearts content and there is still food left over.... Now when i get home from work.. they are meeting me as i get out of my truck and wanting me to feed them more! I try not to... but it is hard to say no when there are over 10 chickens following me and clucking at me....I get over to their dish... there is still food in it .. but they dont eat it till i put fresh in! (i am starting to think they are spoiled).

Now since i have a little petting zoo going on.. I make 5 big buckets of the following combination: I have a scooper.. it is pretty big.. not sure how big.. but it was working...

2 scoops of oats
2 scoops of crack corn
2 scoops of layer mesh
Somtimes i can mix sunflower seeds in it..
Plus My DE.

They are leaving the layer mesh.... and eating the rest. Why?

What do u feed ur chickens?

Any help is appreciated!!

 

[TransplantedTexan]

Everything but the layer ration is a treat.
feed your kids the following and see what they leave on the plate.
2 scoops of M&M's
2 scoops of carmel corn
2 scoops of green beens

 

[joanm]

My chickens are almost at laying age. I keep grower ration for them 24/7 and will do the same when I switch them to layer feed. They also free-range for part of the day. In the afternoon I give them treats. Sunflower seeds, plain cherrioes, grapes, etc.

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

The corn and oats are mainly treats. All you want to give them is the laying mesh.

I have layers... They have laying mesh 24/7 and I will mix oats and cratch about 3 cups fulls combinded (for 60 poultry animals) and throw it out as a treat in the morning when I let them out and then at night just before they go to roost. Of course in the winter I will be feeding more of the scratch corn because it helps produce heat.

Good Luck..Tes

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, you should give them layer free choice all the time and don't give them too much chicken candy. Keep it under 10% of the total layer they eat. Don't want fat chickens now. Sounds cute but causes health problems.

 

[Iamaqte]

See i had them in just 2 dishes just the mesh.. but they would hop into the goats pen and eat the oats and corn.. this is why i mix everything together...

Plus the geese and ducks eat out the dishes too....

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

Hunny, you might want to figure a way to keep them in their own place, not being able to get to the others feed. And from what I understand all that "candy" is not good for the ducks or geese either... I could be wrong... but that is what I heard. Good Luck

 

[momma-hen]

I'm guessing you could get as many answers as there are chicken owners

Before I became underemployed and had to go on a budget trimming spree, my chickens ate only whole grains, including(but not limited to) what some here refer to as candy. Minerals were supplemented with kelp and DE sprinkled on the whole grains; oyster shells fed seperately.
They think layer pellets suck!!(smelling it, I agree with them!)