how much should i be feeding?!

[stumble_n_mumble]

hey guys! i am going through a lot of feed for my birds. i only have 4 ducks and 4 chickens. how much should i be feeding them. they are getting around 16 cups a day if i were to measure it out in actual measuring cups. they get greens daily and free range in the backyard from sun up to sun down.... they are cleaning the plate. i have never seen wildbirds in it or squirrels thank god! they do not look fat either... idk what to do. its expensive!

 

[Mrs. K]

I do not have ducks, nor have I ever, but if I did the math right, that is a gallon of feed a day? That seems to me to be way tooo much, especially this time of year.

As a touch stone, I have 5 chickens, 11 baby 3 week old chicks and one rooster, and I am feeding about 4 cups a day, with free ranging and all the grasshoppers they can eat.

I will feed about a little less than 2 quarts in the winter when it is very cold out, as in cold weather, they do need more feed.

Mrs.K

 

[FiveHens]

I've got no experience, but here are two ideas:
1) they're not growing, are they? 'Cause they eat a lot more then.
2) is the food of reasonable quality? If they're not getting the right stuff out of the food, they might just keep eating massive amounts...at least that's the way it is with dogs...

Our four ladies (combined) go through about 8 cups/week, I'd say, and they're not 1 year yet. We always have it available. They get quite a few kitchen scraps, too

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

no one is growing. there all at their adult size... i just dont understand ... if i stop giving them that much then i feel like they will be hungry! lol.

 

[Tigerjane]

What sort of feeder are you using? It's possible a lot of it is being scratched out of it and onto the ground

 

[Mrs. K]

Is your feeder empty when you go to the coop at night? Is a lot of it getting spilled? Do you have rodents, such as mice and rats, sometimes only seen at night? I think that you are feeding way too much feed.

On a day that you are home, put out 3 cups, and set a timer, then go down and check it every couple of hours, if it is empty, add a bit more, if there is still feed, don't.

What kind of hens do you have? The real egg layers, not dual purpose chickens, do not put a lot of weight on.

I like to feed mine, so that by evening, the feed bins are pretty empty.

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

there is no food on the ground lol. and i take away the food at night because i dont want to feed any possible mice... which i havent seen but i need to keep it clean and rodent free lol. i have a pekin, blue swedish, runner, and a black swed x mallard. chickens i have 2 silkie hens a silkie roo and a japanese hen. i am feeding them purina layer pellets its a blue bag