Is it possible for a chicken to eat too much?

[FowlLove]

Hello everyone! I noticed today that we are going through feed really fast! My family thinks they are eating too much and that we need to stop giving them free access to food. I always thought that chickens wouldn't over eat even if they had access to food 24/7? They are mostly in the coop although I try to sit with them and let them free range every day/every few days. Do you guys have any thoughts on this? Does anyone here ration out their chickens food?

 

[Kgbao]

Chickens will eat till they are full, mine have open access 24/7 minus when they eat it all before I notice. They won’t over eat, specially babies they are growing and will eat and eat and eat.

 

[Kgbao]

Hello everyone! I noticed today that we are going through feed really fast! My family thinks they are eating too much and that we need to stop giving them free access to food. I always thought that chickens wouldn't over eat even if they had access to food 24/7? They are mostly in the coop although I try to sit with them and let them free range every day/every few days. Do you guys have any thoughts on this? Does anyone here ration out their chickens food?

Also I refer you to here, I asked the same question.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/silly-question.1358516/

 

[FowlLove]

Also I refer you to here, I asked the same question.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/silly-question.1358516/

Thank you very much! I think what we will do is put the feed in a no-waste feeder so it eliminates spilling but they still have access 24/7.

 

[Kgbao]

Thank you very much! I think what we will do is put the feed in a no-waste feeder so it eliminates spilling but they still have access 24/7.

Will admit most the food right got now goes on the floor of the brooder, but they have learned to be chickens and scratch and peck if food dish is empty.

 

[Chickassan]

Place your feeder inside a pan or something similar.
You keep kicked out food mainly poop free and dry so you can put it back in the feeder.

 

[Acre4Me]

You may have rodents indulging in that good food too. Usually increased feed intake is due to waste or rodents. Take up the feeders at night and put into a rodent proof container. Or rodent proof the coop (harder than it seems sometimes). Using a pan under the feeder to collect what is scratched or tossed out helps too.

the only other thing I’ve seen on BYC is when someone realizes they are buying x pounds of feed...a number that seems high to them. But, if you calculate a 0.25-0.33 lb/bird/day (for fullgrown chickens) multiplied by the number of birds, multiplied by 28 (4weeks or approx 1 month), you get a certain amount of expected feed Consumption ...sometimes that equals the actual flock consumption, so no rodent or waste issues, just normal consumption.

if you are new to chickens, assess waste potential, rodent potential, and expected consumption for your flock.

 

[Wezdin]

Are these meat birds? a cornish x will eat like crazy.

 

[FowlLove]

You may have rodents indulging in that good food too. Usually increased feed intake is due to waste or rodents. Take up the feeders at night and put into a rodent proof container. Or rodent proof the coop (harder than it seems sometimes). Using a pan under the feeder to collect what is scratched or tossed out helps too.

the only other thing I’ve seen on BYC is when someone realizes they are buying x pounds of feed...a number that seems high to them. But, if you calculate a 0.25-0.33 lb/bird/day (for fullgrown chickens) multiplied by the number of birds, multiplied by 28 (4weeks or approx 1 month), you get a certain amount of expected feed Consumption ...sometimes that equals the actual flock consumption, so no rodent or waste issues, just normal consumption.

if you are new to chickens, assess waste potential, rodent potential, and expected consumption for your flock.

I just calculated assuming each chicken eats 1.5 lbs each week and it seems to line up with the amount of food they consume. Does 8 regular-sized chickens and 3 bantams going through a 40lb. bag/a little over of food each month sound about right?

 

[FowlLove]

Are these meat birds? a cornish x will eat like crazy.

No, I have barred rocks, RIR's, polish, campines, and silkies.