Just out of curiosity

[Barry42001]

can you ever put enough food out for your chickens that they will simply stop eating it and go lay down or do they eat until they need to get wheeled away in a wheelbarrow. It would seem the wheelbarrow

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Chickens aren't dogs, that will eat what they must and walk away.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Meaties or layers? With the exception of growing cornish cross free feeding is not generally an issue. Some keepers are thrown off by the filllng of the crop that is part of their normal eating process

 

[duluthralphie]

Depends on what it is.....If it is "household scraps" They will stuff themselves whether hungry or not. They will run 1/4 mile to see if we are giving them anything "good". They are never really hungry. Mine free range all day, which means they sit under the lilacs to wait and see what I will feed them. Lazy bums...

 

[hlhutchinson]

Mine have access to feed 24/7 and free range and yes sometimes they take a break and dust bath or nap in the sun. They don't gorge them self on the feed that's allways available they eat what they need then move on

 

[Barry42001]

Yeah might have started to get into moult couple of the hands really look rough lol

 

[Barry42001]

Chickens aren't dogs, that will eat what they must and walk away.

If that were a totally true statement then why is it if I walk out of the house whether I have food or not we will come streaming across the yard like a flock of velociraptors and God help me if anything falls out of my hands.

 

[SeaPolka]

If that were a totally true statement then why is it if I walk out of the house whether I have food or not we will come streaming across the yard like a flock of velociraptors and God help me if anything falls out of my hands.

Because they think you have treats for them

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

If that were a totally true statement then why is it if I walk out of the house whether I have food or not we will come streaming across the yard like a flock of velociraptors and God help me if anything falls out of my hands.

For the same reason I might be completely sated from a meal and yet come runing if I see you have chocolate cake

 

[lazy gardener]

Because they are chickens. That's what chickens do. Ever notice how they congregate around you, and walking across the yard while surrounded by a hopeful flock is kind of like a cowboy who's lost his horse trying to navigate his way across a Long Horn cattle stampede? I think it's all part of a great chicken conspiracy. Kind of like the cat that winds around your legs when you're working in the kitchen, or going up/down stairs. The chickens want to trip you up, knock you off your feet. Then, being the cannibals that they are, they will devour you before you can get back up.

Seriously, they will take frequent breaks from the feeder. My birds will often leave FF in their trough, but return to clean it out before going to coop for the night.