over feeding?

[rizq]

My Lhasa and mutt get FAT, FAT, FAT when free fed ... I suspect my shepherd would be fine. If I feed her more than she wants she does not eat it anyway.

 

[Wynette]

Another idea: Put your feeder on a cinder block, then put bricks around it. This way, they can hop up on the brick, and then onto the side of the cinder block if they cannot reach from the ground.

(OH, on the dog thing - I have 3 very healthy and extremely active, XL size breeds - we feed them each a limited amount, twice daily. They are in awesome shape; I have 2 Great Danes that are the picture of health, both of which will be 9 in July....the life span of a Dane is 7-8 years, so I guess I'm doing something right!)

 

[Chew593]

Quote:
well he already blames me and my good cookin' for his spare tire so I think he might be grateful!

 

[lunkerchicken]

I have food and water both inside and out at all times. I don't care about spillage because they will usually eat that too, sooner or later.

 

[Akane]

Just ask him how he would like it if you limited HIS food. BTW, we feed our dogs free choice too. They don't have a weight problem, but they do get a lot of exercise.

Humans do eat meals and we should limit our portions. Usually far more than we do. There are a lot of overweight people in this country where over eating is at least a huge contributor. Exercise will always help counter food consumption which we often don't get enough of but most people eat way more than they need to. Then many snack on junk food between meals. Many of the healthiest people I know limit their portions severely, eat 4 or 5 small meals with no snacks, and take a fasting day a week. Much the same diet our dogs and cats would do well on except they are designed even better than we are for limited meals. Most only feed 2 or 3 times a day. I do leave food down all the time for my current dog but she has a serious aversion to dry kibble and tries to avoid eating it. I still don't give her all she'll eat. she gets 2 cups a day max for an 80lb+ dog and if she eats it all she waits till tomorrow for more to be put in her bowl. She does also get a raw bone every evening though and the kibble is refilled in the morning so if she does eat it all she doesn't go more than 12hrs without food every day. Every now and then she will go a day or 2 without eating anything by choice.

Chickens are entirely different. We are talking about completely different digestive tracts and evolution. Like I said if you don't feed a guinea pig for 4hrs it can be a death sentence. I lost coturnix quail when they didn't get fed for more than 24hrs. We can't compare that to a human or dog. The diet and digestive tract are completely different. Some animals are designed to graze constantly and some aren't. Chickens do best with constant food. They will eat each other like someone else said if they don't have food. They'll start by removing each others feathers and work their way towards damage to the skin. Once there is an injury to the skin or odd looking bald patch they all just keep pecking it to the point they may kill the injured chicken. Providing food all the time is important toward preventing picking. Having enough space and preventing boredom also contributes.​

 

[Wifezilla]

Akane, there is so much wrong with what you said about people and weight loss I don't know here to start. I have spent the last two years researching human biology, hormone function, and the history of diet and obesity in America. The entire problem has to do with insulin and blood sugar. A government recommended diet of high carbohydrates is what is causing the obesity. I could explain the whole biological process, but I am tired and cranky right now.

Portion control may make people and pets thin, but it doesn't make them healthy. Example: My skinny friend same age as me LOOKS great at 45. She also has high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and has to get a thyroid biopsy. High blood pressure, high triglycerides and thyroid issues are all side effects of a high carbohydrate diet. Obesity is ALSO a side effect of a high carb diet, but people only focus on the fatties.

Majority of dogs will over eat even on better quality kibble.

I totally disagree. The problem may be people THINK they are feeding better food, but they aren't. If the food is still corn or wheat based, the higher price tag doesn't mean better quality. Example: Hills or Science Diet. While recommended by many vets, it is no better than Old Roy from Walmart because it is still based on corn. The vet recommended stuff just costs a ton more.

It's frequently a problem of getting people to switch to higher quality kibble.

Now this is totally true. With my cats, on the high quality food, they eat a lot less...they also POOP a lot less. Many people forget about that benefit.

 

[granmahen]

My chicks have food available at all times. Once they are on layer I give them 1/4 lb. each in the morning and 1/4 lb. each in the afternoon. This works out to be four cups each feeding because I have 5 hens. They have a trough that hangs at chest level and give me eggs every day and do not trouble each other. On days I cannot let them out to free range, I give a little more. Days they free range, I have food left over the next morning. You can tell when they don't have enough food, they act troubled, pace, are noisy (not the normal contented mumble), and can be mean to each other. I've a RIR, Australorp, Deleware, Leghorn (such a big egg from a little hen) and a NHR. Pretty big hens mostly.

This means about 50 lbs. a month, maybe a little more. When I didn't limit their food they ate a good 100 lb.