Official BYC Poll: Winterizing your flock's feed: Do you change or supplement it?

[GC-Raptor]

Wow much more organized than i
But its hard to ne organized when you 90 pet chickens

I have 2 Flocks, 3 hens on Layer feed 16%, and 8 POL pullets (18 weeks old) on a Starter-Grower feed 18%.

I'm expecting first eggs soon and will switch to a Layer feed when both breeds (RIR & BR) are laying.

My hens have their own coop and pen and have begun a soft molt, but still laying daily. GC

 

[Driley62]

This year will be a season of experiments. Because last year was their first year laying so I kept them on the same feed. Now my first years should be going into molt any time now and hopefully my youngsters will step up at the same time to start laying. So I will be experimenting to see what I can do. It will likely end up in changing of feed, but as far as treats and stuff I'm not sure which way it'll go.

 

[Madie'sOddFlock]

Our daily feed stays exactly the same because our chickens really don't like/do well on other grains. But we have raised and slaughtered 3 pigs of our own who were very fatty and we have 2 other pigs in our freezers from friends and family and although they weren't quite as fatty we still have a lot of fat from them. So the chickens get lots of fat(usually at least once a week) and any meat leftovers or parts of the pig we won't eat, etc. They get cracked corn and black oil sunflower seeds everyday. I definitely can't give exact amounts of what we give out because we have over 100 birds in 6 different coops and I pretty much use grandma's technique of "that looks about right."

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Winter here is very cold and snowy. I increase their scratch as long as they’re still eating plenty of their All Flock. On very cold nights they get a little corn before bed. I also supplement with electrolytes in their water once a week. This is the only time of year they get mealworms. They get an hour or more of supervised “free range” time year round weather permitting. They don’t mind the snow unless it’s fresh.

 

[RubelliteRose]

We feed Purina Flock Raiser all year so their protein is already higher than a layer feed. We also only get a couple of snowy days each winter so they can free range all year. Some years will be warm enough that we have to mow in January. All years are warm enough that I will be weeding the garden and flower beds through out the winter

 

[Silexian]

I do not change their feed. My new layers are starting to lay, as my older layers are slowing down. So we have a fairly consistent supply of eggs. In my breeder flocks, I let them follow their natural cycles through the fall and winter. Allowing them to direct their calorie intake to producing new feathers and body heat instead of eggs. During the fall and winter.

 

[BReeder!]

I mix cracked corn into their feed during the winter. I combine 50lb of corn with 100 lb of feed. I store in metal garbage cans like the pic in the OP, and they hold the 150 lb of total feed. I do this for the chickens and our ducks. I do not change the feed though beyond adding corn. The chickens get the same balanced feed year round and the ducks are on meat bird year round with peas as supplement for niacin. The only other changes in feed are a lot of "treats" in the late summer and early Fall (now) because the scraps from cleaning the garden go to the birds. I like to think they are getting a lot of nutrition from the overgrown and overripe produce along with the weeds, some garden plant leaves and stems and the grass.

 

[Kiki]

Please don't try to fatten up your chickens with corn or scratch...you are not doing them any favors.

Fat is not healthy.

Feeding a balanced diet daily is healthy.

 

[Show Sebright]

It doesn’t get cold here, the day it gets 40 is winter. My girls are already on high protein feed because of how small they are.

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't have much in the way of winter.

About all I do differently is bring the waterers in at night if it's going to be below freezing.