Is it normal for my 12 hens to only go through 35lbs of feed a month..?

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

I’m just wondering if it’s normal for my 12 hens to only go through 35lbs of feed a month. For reference I have 6 standards and 6 bantams. Even with the bantams the ‘average’ amount my flock should be eating is about 60lbs a month (from things I’ve read online and here in BYC) I feed scratch and peck grub layer pellets. That’s their main source of feed as I don’t free range, they’re just in an enclosed 1,450sq ft chicken yard with shrubs and fruit trees. They only get about a tbsp of scratch each at night in the winter and healthy scraps every couple of days. They’ll get grass and weeds that I pull about every day too. All are completely healthy, and all lay nice eggs with hard shells! Just curious if it’s normal for my chickens to go through such a small amount of feed and if anyone else’s flock also doesn’t eat the ‘normal’ amount!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I’m just wondering if it’s normal for my 12 hens to only go through 35lbs of feed a month. For reference I have 6 standards and 6 bantams. Even with the bantams the ‘average’ amount my flock should be eating is about 60lbs a month (from things I’ve read online and here in BYC) I feed scratch and peck grub layer pellets. That’s their main source of feed as I don’t free range, they’re just in an enclosed 1,450sq ft chicken yard with shrubs and fruit trees. They only get about a tbsp of scratch each at night in the winter and healthy scraps every couple of days. They’ll get grass and weeds that I pull about every day too. All are completely healthy, and all lay nice eggs with hard shells! Just curious if it’s normal for my chickens to go through such a small amount of feed and if anyone else’s flock also doesn’t eat the ‘normal’ amount!

With that big of a yard, I bet they’re finding plenty of yummy goodies out there and filling up nothing to worry about as long as they’re healthy and acting fine.

 

[laboroflove]

I bet they are eating their fill of bugs and grass in their yard. If they are laying well and in good weight I would could your blessings!

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

It is too good to be true; even with 100 square feet of forage area per bird. How long has it been this way? I'd try a different feed.

It’s been that way as long as I have had 12 chickens. They’re all the picture of health and all lay nice eggs everyday to every other day. All are a good weight too. No behavioral issues whatsoever. They free feed and graze on their food throughout the day, they just don’t go through as much feed though. I didn’t think anything of it until I saw how much other peoples chickens eat on BYC and such. My aunt (who lives one property away) just uses ts feed for her mixed flock of bantams and standards (same amount). And they go through about 50-60lbs a month or so. Her chicken yard is dirt, but mines a deep litter compost system with plants.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

I bet they are eating their fill of bugs and grass in their yard. If they are laying well and in good weight I would could your blessings!

Yup all are really healthy, a good weight, have shiny feathers, bright red combs! I didn’t think mine went through a much smaller amount of feed until I saw how much other flocks go through here on BYC and other sites!

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

With that big of a yard, I bet they’re finding plenty of yummy goodies out there and filling up nothing to worry about as long as they’re healthy and acting fine.

I didn’t think they would be able to find that much on their own since their yard isn’t a movable one! Maybe my deep litter compost system in there provides more bugs than I thought! All are so healthy and lay such nice big eggs (even my Belgian D’uccles eggs are pretty big for her tiny size). I actually didn’t think anything of it until I saw how much feed other flocks were going through!

 

[theoldchick]

If they look healthy then they are eating just what they need. Many people over feed their chickens who end up with numerous weight related health issues. Get your hands on them and make sure they are of good body weight.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I didn’t think they would be able to find that much on their own since their yard isn’t a movable one! Maybe my deep litter compost system in there provides more bugs than I thought! All are so healthy and lay such nice big eggs (even my Belgian D’uccles eggs are pretty big for her tiny size). I actually didn’t think anything of it until I saw how much feed other flocks were going through!

It could definitely be the compost! Lots of goodies in there. Both bugs and maybe scraps? I wouldn’t worry about it. Another thing too is that some flocks may be having rodent issues and/or birds wasting food/tossing it out of the feeders so that could all contribute too. We went through TONS of food till I got the rat problem under control. So I’d count it lucky that they go through so little food.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

If they look healthy then they are eating just what they need. Many people over feed their chickens who end up with numerous weight related health issues. Get your hands on them and make sure they are of good body weight.

I’ll definitely still be keeping an eye on their weight! I do ‘health inspections’ on them about once a week to every 2 weeks or so (I just pick them up, check their crops, feet, combs, eyes, feathers and all that. They’re extremely tame.) I had a silkie who just passed from reproductive issues that she’s been battling for 2 years and I could absolutely tell a difference with her weight and her keel bone prominence when she slowed way down on her eating in her last 2 weeks.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

It could definitely be the compost! Lots of goodies in there. Both bugs and maybe scraps? I wouldn’t worry about it. Another thing too is that some flocks may be having rodent issues and/or birds wasting food/tossing it out of the feeders so that could all contribute too. We went through TONS of food till I got the rat problem under control. So I’d count it lucky that they go through so little food.

I went and dug down a bit in the compost mix and saw some interesting bugs in there. I don’t know why I never noticed how many are in there. Our climate is pretty mild so there are lots of bugs around year round. This past fall we had thousands of purslane caterpillars on our property that the chickens went absolutely crazy for and I noticed that they ate even less feed (I gave them buckets of fallen leaves and the caterpillars mixed together, they all had splattered green on their faces, which was gross but they were happy lol). Definitely viewing my situation as lucky now since all my girls are healthy!