My 22 hens are eating tooooooo much.

[solarquail]

what i do is go to my local bread store and they have old bred not nessicarily moldy but they cant sell it so they have to get rid of it! so i get the back of my dodge truck filled up with bread for FREE! so much bettter and the chickens looooove bread! I still provide them with Whole corn and cracked corn but dont have to buy it as often and if u look at my signature thats what i feed the ducks and quail and 100+ chickens ect.

 

[daisy_dukers]

I have 25 ISA brown hens that were born on June 2nd and started laying about 10 days or so ago.

I go through 40lbs every week.

They free range for 3-4hours every evening on the weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday.

They get garden scraps, kitchen scraps etc.

40lbs of layer costs me 10bucks....and I am avging 3 dozen egg

 

[Andora]

I have 40 chickens, most of them are large breeds like EE's, BO's, BR, etc. I also have 2 pekin ducks.

I buy 100 pounds of feed and it lasts 2 weeks at least, sometimes 3. They also get some kitchen scraps. They ate up all the grass in their big run, so they are low on free ranging goodies right now.

I fill up a litter box full of 18% protein mash for them every day with oyster shell mixed in, and it's usually nearly empty by night. They waste some by spilling it on the ground, but the younger ones (bottom of the pecking order) usually hang around and clean that up.

Omran if you don't live too far from Versailles you should try buying their mash! It's only $15 for 100 pounds and I've found that they poop less and smell better than the other prepackaged feeds I've tried. Their scratch is 9% protein, I give mine a cup full a day tossed out in the pen. You can also buy 50 pounds of oystershell to mix in the feed for only $8.50. Since I started feeding them like this, they lay SO many eggs. Most of them lay every day!

 

[tstefanick]

Hi,

I have 25 year-old hens, 1 rooster, 13 pullets from this year, and 3 guineas. They eat 50 lbs a week. We had to cut out the high volume of scraps we were feeding cuz it killed egg production and they were molting, too.

You are losing food somewhere; rodents, birds, racoons? It doesn't seem possible the chickens could eat that much.

 

[fasbendera]

I have a hanging feeder inside the coop and I bought 50 lbs. for 12 birds and it lasted 3-4 weeks. They are outside in their run which is huge and we throw all garden scraps, food scraps in there (they love zukes I cut the huge ones in half). I should mention that I also have grit and oyster shells in a wall mounted feeder and I feed Layena Pellets.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

I have 17 hens, most are 20 weeks, and a few are over a year. I also have 6 ducks and a goose, and the waterfowl freerange all day, but the chickens only get an hour or two in the afternoon/evening (foxes)... I go through 50lbs of organic feed (18.60) every 2 1/2 weeks... i can't wait until I get more than 2 eggs a day!!!

 

[cybercat]

Quote:
Big problem last sentence. They should be eating 18% or better protien for large duel breed. That is why they are eating so much, not enough protien. Make sure it has a meat source too not all veggi and your feed amounts will drop. Only the light and small breeds can do real well on 16% protien.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
Do you mean the bagged scratch grains? Do you mix that in with the layer feed? If so, perhaps they're being tempted to eat more from their feeder because they want to get more of that tasty scratch.

I think the Layena from Purina is supposed to be good for all breeds, you can contact them directly to be sure. But scratch grains should be used sparingly, just for a treat or for training purposes, not mixed in with the feed.

That's my best guess on the topic...

 

[rstampa]

The Layen Layer by Purnina does have the correct amount of protein for you flock. A quote from their website. "A 16%-protein high-calcium ration formulated for top-producing laying birds once they reach 18 weeks of age." When they are at laying age they aren't growing as fast and therefore don't need the high protein. But the added calcium that Purnina puts in their feed is for higher producing of eggs and stronger egg shells.
That's what I've been told and read repeatedly.
Also the reader above my post is correct in that you should not mix the scratch with their regular feed. I don't use scratch. They don't seem to like it very much and only eat the corn. I give my girls leftovers for a treat but just a little.
And they free range from noon to 5.

But if you want a higher level of protein you can by there "Flock Raiser" feed which has 20% protein. All the info you need is on Purina's website. http//purina.com

 

[Cindy in PA]

Quote:
16% is the minimum protein requirement & only good if you feed no lower protein scraps. Greens & grass are going to have low protein etc., as is scratch. I enjoy feeding whole grains, greens & kitchen scraps, so I feed 19% and higher protein scratch so they are getting over 16%. Purina is only 16% if you feed only Purina and your chickens aren't free ranging, eating grass & not many bugs. I have found my chickens do better on higher protein feed containing animal protein. Yours may be different! Just trying to explain why 16% feed, may not be enough! Good luck.