Over-eating?

[Iluvmypeeps]

Hey everyone, I've got a question.

Are my chickens overeating? I only have four chickens, all of which are not even fully grown, and I go through five pounds of feed a week. Is that normal???

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Adult layers of heavy breeds eat about 1/3 lb of commercial feed a day.

 

[Iluvmypeeps]

Thanks!

Wow, I didn't know that. Looks like I'll be back at the feed shop in a week.

Oh well... I like looking at the poultry they have anyway

. Last time, they even had a mottle cochin rooster!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

You're welcome! Scratch, treats or getting to free range cuts down some on how much regular feed they eat, too.

It sounds like a fun trip. What a temptation, though.

 

[Iluvmypeeps]

Thanks again for your advice.

But can a chicken who is just two weeks over a month old eat scratch? I'm wondering if they would have trouble with that.

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

Quote:
My chicks wouldn't touch scratch, seeds, or most grains until they hit 9 weeks. I'm guessing it had something to do with protein intake, they avoided the scratch because it was low in protein probably because they needed all the protein they could get to grow. Mine take it without a problem now at 10+ weeks. Also a suggestion, it would be better if you fed black oil sunflower seed (Otherwise known as BOSS) instead of the scratch. As it serves the same purpose but is much higher in protein. (15-17% as apossed to 9-10% for scratch) Also make sure they have access to grit to digest the hard grains.