Need to vent...

[Mahonri]

You know, my chickens need to "vent" every day... and I either get poo or an egg. Just part of "venting" I guess.

 

[rizq]

Quote:
2 bags of layer a week ? How many chickens do you have ?

Now they've gotten bigger and we go through about 4 bags of layer a week. We have somewhere between 80-90 chickens, most are growing lf brahmas.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
2 bags of layer a week ? How many chickens do you have ?

Now they've gotten bigger and we go through about 4 bags of layer a week. We have somewhere between 80-90 chickens, most are growing lf brahmas.

We have around the same count of chickens, maybe more ... HOW ON EARTH are you going thru 4 - 50 lb bags of laying pellets a week ? I give treats in mid afternoon , and I FEED real heavy around 4:30 - 5:00 and the next morning , they still have feed that last them thru out the day , until I feed again late afternoons ... So , they are NEVER , EVER without feed ... and I go thru 2 - 50 lb. bags a week .
Mine are RIR's , Barred rocks , black austrolorps , Buff Orpingtons , and EE's . SO , they are all standard size hens .

 

[rizq]

I honestly don't know why they eat so much. If I feed scratch I can cut that to 3 bags of layer with 1 bag of scratch, which really isn't much cheaper and I am wary of feeding too much treat and not enough nutritious feed. I only feed what they eat, they really don't waste much. Their feeders are empty nearly everyday, as was the 5 gallon waterer (I had to fill it twice a day ... now we have 2). That particular pen has about 35 chickens.

Up until a little over a month ago the two trough feeders in the pen would last over 2 days. I would top off the feeders every other day and went through about 2 bags a week. Since the weather turned cold, the feeder (and the ground around it) is completely devoid of feed by the next day (usually) and I get mobbed at the door ... I have to throw a couple scoops of feed on the ground to get into the pen without letting out chickens and to be able to fill the feeders. The chooks are not fat at all either.

I think the sudden cold weather has a lot to do with it. We are still working on the new coop, so while they have adequate shelter, it isn't as good as it should be. Feed consumption will probably go down when they have the nice warm, cozy coop to sleep in instead of just their little shelter. Feed consumption will also go down after we butcher most of our 24 Brahma roos, lol.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
well , I quit giving scratch , because they would scratch thru it and eat just the cracked corn . I DO NOT give cracked corn often neither .... MAYBE your brahma's have bottomless pits . Regardless , I can enter the run and they still have feed and they still all rush to the door like they are straving .

I think we have garbage disposals ... come on admit it , they are pigs instead of chickens ....

 

[rizq]

I have often said that I don't have chickens ... I have feathered pigs

I am a feathered pig farmer!

And yes, they have always rushed the gate and attacked the freshly filled feeders, even when they had feed left over, they are just a bit more intense about it now. They all act healthy and don't seem too thin, so I don't worry too much about them ... I just pour on the feed, lol.

We have decided however that our meat/egg to feed conversion ratio is NOT economical

Good thing the chickens are so much fun!



edited for spelling

 

[cajunlizz]

I aGREE .... if we had to put the pencil to it and do the math would shock us into never never land .

BUT , we are addicted and to late to turn back now . WE ARE HOOKED .

 

[DTchickens]

personally i feed 2 cups per pair (for little bantams) (usually one cup... but in winter they started wanting more). if they leave any left over the next day i will cut it down to about 1 cup and 3/4ths, and so on until i get to what their eating and not leaving any, and in this result. mine aren't skinny nor fat, perfect shape.. and i dont have to worry about wild birds coming around in my pens spreading diseases.


PS, my feeding cup is a vienna can

Daniel

 

[rizq]

I have too many to measure cup by cup, lol. I just pour the feed into a 5 gallon bucket and fill up the feeders. They don't waste it, they eat it, and they are not fat, so I don't think I am overfeeding. They are just pigs

 

[cajunlizz]

they kinda like new born babe's tho ... When babies have colic , they would nurse 2 or 3 bottles back to back if you let them , even tho they are NOT hungry .

200 pounds of laying pellets a week to me is WAY TO MUCH .
UNLESS your bags of laying pellets are smaller bags , Mine are 50 lb bags of Purena Layer pellets . and we go thru 2 50 lb. bags a week and I do gives treats and extra protein items ... EVERYBODY AND EVERYTHING needs a varity .