how much to feed my chickens????????????

[tlwhite]

i am a newcomer in the chickens.i have 9 pullets 1 cockerel RIR/BARRED ROCK,5 RIR hens 3 barred rock hens, 1 bantam rooster and 6 bantam hens
what would be the proper amount to feed them in a day?
i currently give the 6 cups of starter/layer and 2 cups of whole corn per day plus scrap veggies from the garden.
is that about average? to much? to little? or what?
all suggestions welcome. i know that most chickens always act like they are starved, but i don't want to under feed them.

 

[abercrombie575]

I just fill up their feeder and they eat as much as they want in a day. They also get treats and scraps from the garden/kitchen. They will eat until they are full and not eat the whole thing.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Questions. Do they finish the amount of feed your providing? Do they empty the feeder within an hour? 4 hours? In other words, is the feeder empty at 4 pm? If so, do you fill it again at 4 pm?

Filling a huge feeder and leaving it for two days is one way. Your way requires you keep very close tabs on their consumption in order to fulfill their feeding needs. Your way is ration feeding, or close to it. Nothing wrong with that management system, but it requires much tighter management.

 

[tlwhite]

it last them from morning until mid-afternoon, i say 3-4 pm

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Thanks for answering. So, they get nothing to eat from 3 pm until the next day? If so, your ration system breaks down right there, a bit. I would recommend an additional, light feeding at 4 pm, a ration they can consume before heading to roost at 8 pm. This is the tight control required in ration feeding.

The main purpose in ration feeding is to eliminate feed being left out for the rodents overnight. But, in my experience, chickens do consume feed in the early evenings, before heading to roost. Getting that ration right is tough and takes some experimentation. I believe it to be a necessary feeding for maximum health and egg production, if laying hens.

 

[Islandlife]

I have a big big feeder that I keep laying pellets in. Holds about 20 pounds of layer pellets. I have a hanging wild bird feeder they have to get up onto one of the roosts to get to and I fill that up with BOSS. On the side of the coop I have what I can best describe as a wrought iron semi circle wall hanger that is excellent for putting half a lettuce in or half a cabbage. Cause it is semi circle it lets a couple of them get at it at the same time and it keeps the food cleaner cause it is up off the floor. Daily I probably throw in 2 to 3 handfuls of cracked corn they can scratch around for and daily they get kitchen scraps. Inside the coop I have a small bowl wedged with a brick that I keep full of oyster shells (and sometimes throw a bit of BOSS into it and mix it up with my finger)..........Basically my ladies can eat whenever they want and I find it easier keeping them stocked up with lots of food than to have to be filling up feeders daily.

 

[geepy]

I feed once in the am and once in the pm. Plus scrapes. And when the see me coming.

I swear they are never full.

If they leave food on the ground I cut back alittle. My girls are plump and give me lots of eggs, but they are beggars. And I'm a softy and give in. One day I'm gonna show them who runs the place.

 

[galanie]

Quote:
My chickens have shown me that THEY run the place.

 

[Nicole01]

I have a feeder that I can pour the 50# bag and they have access 24 hours a day. They can not waste any feed and with 8 chickens, the feed lasts me about a month and one week. I give them a nice amount of treats in the morning of oats, cracked corn and sunflower seeds.

 

[sunnyvera]

I have two (2) feeders, one at each end of the run. I put a little in each every few days. They get tons of garden stuff, treats, and fruit, so the feed lasts for a few days. In the winter, they seem to eat more because the indoor feeder gets more action. I do not worry about them overeating, they only get healthy things, not empty calories. If I have to leave for the weekend, I do not worry about the food, as long as someone gets the eggs every day. FYI - they also have 2 waterers, a large and small, the small one I would fill with ice cubes and just let it melt - wonderful cold water on these hot days. The other one gets cleaned and refilled about every 3rd day. I am with the chickens every day, so it is not a chore, plus I only have 21 chickens total. It seems to work for us. I did like the idea of that feeder that stays outside and the chickens can help themselves anytime. They step on the step and the feeder opens. Seems like a good idea to me.