I have 8 chickens. How much should I feed them? I feed a two scoops scratch two scoops of layer pellets one scoop worms, oyster shells and grit twice

[GigitheBackyardHerbilist]

Daily, morning and night.

Is that too much? Hubby is complaining about the feed bill... Just curious. They also get scraps.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Depends how much a scoop is but in my opinion that's too much scratch. Scratch should be more like a treat although my mom's chickens live very long lives and she mixes it with their food. I digress...my chickens always have food leftover at the end of the day. When it gets really fine I put it in a bowl with water and make a mash so there is no waste.

 

[GigitheBackyardHerbilist]

Depends how much a scoop is but in my opinion that's too much scratch. Scratch should be more like a treat although my mom's chickens live very long lives and she mixes it with their food. I digress...my chickens always have food leftover at the end of the day. When it gets really fine I put it in a bowl with water and make a mash so there is no waste.

IDK how big the scoop is. I can take a picture. I have several that I bought from the FACE clinic second and damaged pet food market.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Save some monies, scratch not needed ... It's more a "candy" for them with no nutritional value. 2x how big is the scoop.
Personally I keep Oyster Shells & grit in separate dishes/separate as they eat as they need. I also ferment my feed (Flock Raiser) which has many benefits besides stretching out the feed. There's an article/thread about it, remembering no metal dishes/utinsils. No table scraps for mine but they do get a handful of mealworms at close up.

 

[GigitheBackyardHerbilist]

IDK how big the scoop is. I can take a picture. I have several that I bought from the FACE clinic second and damaged pet food market.

They do like the crumbs in water. I found that out when it rained for two days. Lol

 

[saysfaa]

...two scoops scratch, two scoops of layer pellets, one scoop worms, oyster shells, and grit twice...​

By "worms" do you mean meal worms? They are also treats (like the scratch) rather than food although for a different reason - they are about half fat. They are also a lot more expensive than layer food.

If not meal worms, what kind of worms do you mean?

I agree with oyster shell and grit separately and available all the time. They won't eat more than they need that way. They might if it is fed in their food or if it is available only periodically.

 

[Brooks_]

I would say you should feed them a complete ration free choice.

Two scoops is either way too much scratch or way too little actual feed, more likely both.

 

[Ruffled Feathers]

In addition the scratch grains and meal worms being a treat, another thing to think about is the amount of protein they are getting.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Daily, morning and night.

Is that too much? Hubby is complaining about the feed bill... Just curious. They also get scraps.

OH MY! TOO MUCH.

The basic rule of thumb is that an adult chicken needs 100g (about 1/4#) of complete ration, DAILY. So your birds would be expected to consume 2# of pellets, DAILY.

"Scratch" is a low nutrition treat, which tends to be high in fat. Your chickens do not need it. EVER. Its primary value is as entertainment to you, and as a chicken training aid to encourage certain behaviors - behaviors you can train just as effectively by scattering pellets. If you do choose to feed Scratch, it should not exceed 1/10th of the daily ration, which is to say, less than 1/4# per day for the entire flock.

"Worms", assuming you mean mealworms or similar, are high protein, high fat treats. Your chickens don't need them. They are rediculously expensive per pound. The benefit of their relatively high protein is good, but the detriment of their extremely high fat is much worse. Worms are treats, and should not exceed 10% of the daily ration, by weight. For your flock, that's less than 1/4# per day for the whole flock - a couple worms each. (COUPLE as in TWO. Perhaps three.)

Treats are either/or. You can offer scratch one day, worms the next. NOT BOTH.

Oyster shells should be offered free choice, in a separate dish. You can leave them out. Same with the grit. Gets its own dish, leave it always available to them. Impossible to offer too much of either - they will eat what they need.

My flock is, admittedly, bigger than yours. I have 5-10# of oyster shell out at any given time, in a plastic rain gutter. Most people use dishes or pails, I had some gutter laying around, and got tired of the dishes being spilled. Works for me.

 

[3KillerBs]

Chickens should have access to their primary commercial feed during every hour of daylight. If they are not Cornish X broilers they will not overeat.

Scratch, mealworms, etc. is a treat -- like candy or cookies -- which should be offered only intermittently and in small portions.