How often do you feed? Settle a squabble!

[TreeHugger]

I keep 2 hanging feeders in the coop that I have to fill up about once a week. They have food in front of them 24/7.

I do have 10' by 10' kennels that I use for breeding pens, quarentine pens or just to seperate out trouble makers. If I have birds in those pens they get fed once a day (but usually enough feed to last a few days).

 

[chicknbuns]

I'm fairly new to chickens so i didn't even know people "feed" their chickens. Mine have a feeder that I made out of a 5 gallon bucket and a plastic plant saucer that I just keep full. I do check on them every morning to make sure their water is good and to throw them veggies and scratch if it's cold.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I do not free feed - too many wild birds, squirrels, mice, pack rats, and other critters who are too happy to help themselves to a "free buffet".

I feed in the morning, pick up what is left, feed noonish and again about an hour to 1/2 hour before roost.


Most of the birds free range on 11 desert acres (good luck getting a good meal outta the sand

)

 

[sgtmom52]

I also didn't answer as I always have my feeders filled. I do give them a treat at least once a day, either scraps, BOSS or weeds/grass in season.

 

[pips&peeps]

Mine have food and water available 24/7.

I do believe though that there have been studies on livestock that suggest twice a day feeding is better than once a day.

 

[darkmatter]

I use the morning "Chicken Bucket" method. I put a scoop of scratch in a plastic bucket (a cat litter bucket with lid works) and it stays in the kitchen all day to get food preparation peelings, scraps/cooking liquids and misc dumped in it. In the morning I dump it out to the chickens and they spend the rest of the day foraging in the large chicken run and in the garden too during the fall and winter. During the spring and summer with fresh greens and mulberries dropping, not much scratch if any is used. During the winter a bit more scratch and some dry cat food is added to replace the summer bugs to the "Chicken Bucket". The chickens really love scratch that has been soaking in cooking liquid and/or grease all day. (Yes, they get meat scraps if I have company over, if I'm eating the meat, all the chickens get is a well cleaned bone)

 

[bufforp89]

Twice a day as I have a few hens that will gorge themselves and get fat if they have free choice...there are also too many critters here looking for a free meal. In the warmer months when everyone is freeranging once a day as they find alot of their own food in the woods and fields around here....In the warm months my geese actually get nothing...I have offered feed but they turn their noses up at it and prefer grass and whatever else they eat.

 

[TheReidHomestead]

I can't answer your poll because my birds have a big ol' feeder I keep full all the time so they have free choice about when to eat.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I leave feed & water out 24/7. They eat when they want to.

 

[FourPawz]

I refill the feeder once a day if needed at night. Then the little gluttons go right back in their coop.