How often do you feed your chickens?

[micstrachan]

I used to leave feed out all day until two necropsies and an exam an avian vet did on a sick hen revealed excess body fat. One even died from fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome. So they're on a diet (per avian vet’s recommendation) and I’m rationing feed (only feeding in the morning). It seems they are starting to slim down and appear to be more active.

 

[RoosterML]

Not to say your 100% wrong but I’ve had hens whom will eat constantly for an hour or two then go out and free range then come back in the coop (with a visibly full crop) and eat even more. I eventually had to feed once a day. But to each their own.

I have not experienced that.

 

[Fluffyflufffluff]

Was wondering how often do you feed your chickens? Mine are free range and up at night so I leave 2 buckets out of feed and water daily for them and 1 in chicken run. I also have a 30 pound goose that eats the same food. I feel like I’m going through sooo much food a bag every week and half and it’s little on the expensive side.. do I cut back on feeding? Or should I only feed mornings and evenings?

Daily of course! we feed them concentrates, grain mix and crumbles.

 

[BReeder!]

The goose is certainly the biggest feed consumer @brittanys22 . I'm not saying get rid of the goose though. That's just the primary culprit.
I have 8 chickens (all hens), 2 turkeys (both jennies) and 6 ducks (4 rouens and 2 pekins with 1 of each being a drake). I mention sex because males tend to be larger in these species and may eat more. That's something else to consider. There turkeys eat more than the chickens and the ducks eat more than the turkeys. I go through a 50lb bag of feed every 1-1.5 week. That said, it's also still cool here. The ducks get to forage on the lawn and in the unplanted garden but still eat a lot. The chickens and turkeys don't free range typically so they really primarily on feed. In the warmer months they all eat less, and I substitute their feed with weeds, grass and garden scraps while they are plentiful Spring through Fall. A 50lb bag lasts 2-3 weeks in the warmer months.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Of my free rangers, they get what amounts to less than a hand full of laying crumbles each in the morning. They have to forage for the rest. They do get a bowl of oyster shells.

For my confined chickens, they each have access to feeders I keep full.

 

[The Macs]

So, we just got 10 pullet chicks (4 Arauncanas, 3 ISA Browns, 3 Rhode Island Reds).
They haven't seemed to stop eating since we got them home.
Will they eat themselves to death?
Should I take the feeder out for the night?

Everything I've read thus far, seems to say 'no'. But just don't want to find out the hard way.

Thanks ya'll!

 

[BReeder!]

So, we just got 10 pullet chicks (4 Arauncanas, 3 ISA Browns, 3 Rhode Island Reds).
They haven't seemed to stop eating since we got them home.
Will they eat themselves to death?
Should I take the feeder out for the night?

Everything I've read thus far, seems to say 'no'. But just don't want to find out the hard way.

Thanks ya'll!

I don't remove my feeder. I fill it once a day just. They eat it down to nearly the end by the next day, but there's always just a bit left, which tells me I am feeding just the right amount and they are not overeating.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So, we just got 10 pullet chicks (4 Arauncanas, 3 ISA Browns, 3 Rhode Island Reds).
They haven't seemed to stop eating since we got them home.
Will they eat themselves to death?
Should I take the feeder out for the night?

Chicks can eat a lot, as they're obviously growing. With chicks I do not limit food intake until they're a bit older (for me, once they're moved into the coop I no longer leave out food overnight).

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Do they have a light on all night? How old are they? If it's dark, they won't eat at night. They need to rest and not eat so they can process what's in their digestive system. Their crops should be empty in the morning. If they are young enough to need heat at night, get a non-Teflon coated red light. I understand pet stores have them in the reptile section. Teflon is toxic to chickens when it's heated and they can die. Good luck!

 

[Manhen]

We have 7 chickens. And I keep my feed in chicken run but the squirrels go in my coop because I leave the door open so they have access all throughout the day.

You are feeding the neighborhood. Give the goose cheaper food. hang the chicken feeder so rodents cant get to it. Go with fermented food feed 2X a day. Feed what they eat in 20 minutes and count it good, two times a day will be enough. Mine are starting to eat less now that it's warming up. 1X will do, mid-morning in good pasture and weather.