My girls are 20 weeks old I don't think they are eating a lot at all.

[Kiki]

Thanks. I do give them one boiled egg chopped up mixed with cottage cheese every other day. Today I mixed a little feed into it.

Be very careful with the treats.
I'd cut back to once a week if I were you.

 

[Kiki]

Maybe someone will come up with a chart or a guideline for us. My one chicken started laying I have 7 she started at 19 weeks and 4 days and now I have received my 6th egg today. So it is very exciting. My girls seem healthy too not sure???

It's not that simple.
The age and breed of bird makes a difference so does one's weather.

 

[Teresa D]

Mine are the same age and I am having the same concerns. It’s like they are going through a phase or something. Maybe it’s chicken puberty. Mine aren’t laying yet but all three breeds that I have are usually at POL around 22 to 24 weeks so I know it’s close. They are eating the tether ball cabbage and will eat fresh grass clippings I put in their run and that holds their interest more lately than their feed. I don’t know what the deal is. I thought it was the heat for awhile but it has broken here and they are up moving around more and getting more exercise now in their run which is large for nine birds. It’s a 12 x 35 so they have lots of room and it’s about 12 high so they can fly some when they take the notion. I am out of guesses. They are healthy otherwise and their weight is good and have no signs of illness and are happy. IDK.

So read the positive responses it says roughly 3/4 of a cup per bird, of course age and size plays into that but at least now we have a guideline.

 

[Teresa D]

How many chickens?

7 girls

 

[thepick4uchicks]

So read the positive responses it says roughly 3/4 of a cup per bird, of course age and size plays into that but at least now we have a guideline.

Yes. I know my nine are not eating near that much yet. I have a cup set up which is mounted in their run and it currently is on the North Side of the run since I recently moved it from the sun on the South side where it was getting too much heat I felt like. I have two cups which are the big ones holding I think three cups each and they don’t eat six cups of feed a day. They eat more like four cups of feed at the Max. I don’t give them any kind of treat everyday. I give them something extra usually every other day and it’s usually a green thing. I have given them soldier fly grubs and mealworms also but never on a daily basis. I try to make sure they focus on their feed.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

7 girls

I have 9.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

What feed do you use?
Can you take one scoop of feed and measure it with a regular cup measurer?

I use Nutrena Grower crumble now mixed with Scratch and Peck starter grower crumble.

 

[Teresa D]

Yes. I know my nine are not eating near that much yet. I have a cup set up which is mounted in their run and it currently is on the North Side of the run since I recently moved it from the sun on the South side where it was getting too much heat I felt like. I have two cups which are the big ones holding I think three cups each and they don’t eat six cups of feed a day. They eat more like four cups of feed at the Max. I don’t give them any kind of treat everyday. I give them something extra usually every other day and it’s usually a green thing. I have given them soldier fly grubs and mealworms also but never on a daily basis. I try to make sure they focus on their feed.

I'm sure they are good if they seem healthy.

 

[Teresa D]

Mine are the same age and I am having the same concerns. It’s like they are going through a phase or something. Maybe it’s chicken puberty. Mine aren’t laying yet but all three breeds that I have are usually at POL around 22 to 24 weeks so I know it’s close. They are eating the tether ball cabbage and will eat fresh grass clippings I put in their run and that holds their interest more lately than their feed. I don’t know what the deal is. I thought it was the heat for awhile but it has broken here and they are up moving around more and getting more exercise now in their run which is large for nine birds. It’s a 12 x 35 so they have lots of room and it’s about 12 high so they can fly some when they take the notion. I am out of guesses. They are healthy otherwise and their weight is good and have no signs of illness and are happy. IDK.

So I measure 3/4 cups x 7 and it comes to 5 1/4 so then I took my measuring cup that holds 4 cups of liquid and added another 11/4 cups to that and it was just the 4 cup liquid measurer all the way full to the top. So then I put that much in their feeder and I'm going to keep track how long it takes that to disappear. I'm thinking we don't really have to worry as long as they seem healthy. I have only one chick that is laying@19 weeks old out of 7 . She is a barred rock and I guess they lay younger than the rest, on the other hand my other barred rock has not laid yet. So I guess it will just take time. i'm thinking that even if it takes them two days to finish the food thats okay because they are still young. I do make sure I have grit in there coop and run at all times and I have added oyster shell for calcium because my one girl is laying. The eggs are perfect hard shells yellow yolks nothing like the farmers that have 300 chickens. The first one was small each egg gets a little bigger. Kind of glad that one started laying first because I'm learning too.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

So I measure 3/4 cups x 7 and it comes to 5 1/4 so then I took my measuring cup that holds 4 cups of liquid and added another 11/4 cups to that and it was just the 4 cup liquid measurer all the way full to the top. So then I put that much in their feeder and I'm going to keep track how long it takes that to disappear. I'm thinking we don't really have to worry as long as they seem healthy. I have only one chick that is laying@19 weeks old out of 7 . She is a barred rock and I guess they lay younger than the rest, on the other hand my other barred rock has not laid yet. So I guess it will just take time. i'm thinking that even if it takes them two days to finish the food thats okay because they are still young. I do make sure I have grit in there coop and run at all times and I have added oyster shell for calcium because my one girl is laying. The eggs are perfect hard shells yellow yolks nothing like the farmers that have 300 chickens. The first one was small each egg gets a little bigger. Kind of glad that one started laying first because I'm learning too.

Aren’t we all learning for sure. We need to everyday. They still have quite a bit of growing yet I would guess. I cut mine back to half today and they wasted nada!