Please help, am I feeding my chicks enough?

[Deebsra]

So I have 23 Rhode Island Red 8 week old pullet chicks and 1 Ameracauna roo. I was recently in the City Farmer's Nursery where the owner (who is a city farmer) told me that I should be feeding my chickens by putting their food in the grass so they stay good foragers since they free range all day in my backyard. So I've been doing that but they ALWAYS seem hungry. I've actually been feeding them way more, I go through a 50lb bag in a week. Am I doing something wrong? They sit by my back door waiting for me or my kids to come outside to feed them all day, even if they just ate. Are they really hungry? We have a big yard, why aren't they eating more from it? Do I have too many chickens for my yard (about 6000 sq feet or .14 acre). Please help, I'm really not sure what to do. This is a video of my chicks.

 

[gritsar]

Your city farmer friend was wrong. Chickens are natural foragers, some breeds are better than others, but all chickens can forage and it's not something to be taught to them. Mother Nature already took care of that by giving them instincts.

If you want your chickens to have optimal health and good egg production you want to keep feed available to them 24/7 or at least during daylight hours; especially when they are young.

ETA: IMO, you are wasting feed by putting it out for them in the grass. Scratch and scratch grains goes in the grass/on the ground. Feed goes in a feeder.

 

[Deebsra]

Okay, that was my hunch, glad to have it confirmed. I'll do that starting tomorrow. I don't feed them scratch yet, I'll wait for awhile I think until I switch them to layer feed. Thanks so much!!

 

[gritsar]

Okay, that was my hunch, glad to have it confirmed. I'll do that starting tomorrow. I don't feed them scratch yet, I'll wait for awhile I think until I switch them to layer feed. Thanks so much!!

You are correct, too young for layer feed.

At their age, a grower feed is best. If a seperate grower feed is not available where you live, a starter/grower feed will work just as well; but at 8 weeks old they can go off the medicated kind.

 

[Deebsra]

I have them on a starter grower feed. There isn't a place close to me that sells either one separately. I fed them out of their feeder this morning and they didn't stalk me around the yard! Yeah Thanks guys.

 

[gritsar]

Good deal