please help,getting expensive!

[bluemini]

and I don't know how long a 50 pound bag lasts me because this is my first time buying one and having 14 chickens. I had 5 chickens and 2 ducks that used 2, 25 pound bags from march 31st until about the first of may,I then bought a 50 pound bag of grower and half way through the bag ended up with 9 more chickens(less than a week ago) . They have ate about 25 pound in a month . I think they are getting too much,but they seem hungry.

They have around 3 acres of land plus the hill/mountain. I live in Ky,they have tons of leaves,dirt,grass,bugs etc .


I am fermenting the feed and will start measuring the feed out

 

[bluemini]

they are not under or over weight,will post more pics of them and the area they free range when I can get them to upload

 

[centrarchid]

and I don't know how long a 50 pound bag lasts me because this is my first time buying one and having 14 chickens. I had 5 chickens and 2 ducks that used 2, 25 pound bags from march 31st until about the first of may,I then bought a 50 pound bag of grower and half way through the bag ended up with 9 more chickens(less than a week ago) . They have ate about 25 pound in a month . I think they are getting too much,but they seem hungry.

They have around 3 acres of land plus the hill/mountain. I live in Ky,they have tons of leaves,dirt,grass,bugs etc .


I am fermenting the feed and will start measuring the feed out

Three acres in the Kentucky I know will be able to support 14 chickens kept free-range with supplemental feed in the form of scratch grains dominated by whole corn and oats during summer and fall which can put a dent in your feed bill. The fermenting feed concept may not be ideal with your setup that provides very little protection from raccoons and opossums. The fermented feed smells very good and will attract more of such predators than the birds alone will. If used I suggest providing well away from were birds roost and keep traps around where feed is applied. In a pinch with such varmints when caught, they can be skinned with carcass boiled to supplement animal protein for birds.

During winter months you will likely need to supplement with a complete diet that I suggest be dominated by a grower feed.

Keep oyster shell available at all times unless birds are consuming lots of foraged greens.

Be careful with predators as they can put a dent in your feed bill as well. Dogs could be your best asset against such. Also consider a fence (electric cheapest) to at least keep stray dogs out but that will not stop most wild predators.

In your setting I would scrap all but the hardiest birds and keep game hens instead or crosses with them.

Your purpose behind birds not made clear but that is important when keeping birds as you are. Some breeds will be a waste of time because they will either not earn their keep or get picked off too quickly by wildlife.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hens have to build up a certain level of fat before they start to lay eggs. ....If you butcher a hen that is laying you will find a fat pad in the pelvic area....

Ridgerunner is right. All chickens carry most of their body fat around the vent area. If there is to much fat there it not only interferes with laying but with all reproduction success in both sexes.

 

[centrarchid]

If the birds are truelly free-range kept and the forage is good, then I doubt birds will have a weight problem. To assess feed levels then I would use ranging behavior and productivity as they are more sensitive measures as to how well the birds are doing nutritionally. Some of my game hens otherwise in good weight will fly across a field for eats so they clearly appear famished. They are simply trying to get easy eats and can keep producing eggs even when feed is not put out for a day but they will range farther and potentially into trouble for those eats.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If the birds are truelly free-range kept and the forage is good, then I doubt birds will have a weight problem. To assess feed levels then I would use ranging behavior and productivity as they are more sensitive measures as to how well the birds are doing nutritionally. Some of my game hens otherwise in good weight will fly across a field for eats so they clearly appear famished. They are simply trying to get easy eats and can keep producing eggs even when feed is not put out for a day but they will range farther and potentially into trouble for those eats.

That's what I was trying to say. If yours are ranging 6 hours a day, they are not likely to be too fat. They are very likely to be at a healthy weight. They'll still have that fat pad, but it is a healthy amount of fat for chickens.

 

[newchickmomma4]

and I don't know how long a 50 pound bag lasts me because this is my first time buying one and having 14 chickens. I had 5 chickens and 2 ducks that used 2, 25 pound bags from march 31st until about the first of may,I then bought a 50 pound bag of grower and half way through the bag ended up with 9 more chickens(less than a week ago) . They have ate about 25 pound in a month . I think they are getting too much,but they seem hungry.

They have around 3 acres of land plus the hill/mountain. I live in Ky,they have tons of leaves,dirt,grass,bugs etc .


I am fermenting the feed and will start measuring the feed out

I only have 4 laying hens so my feed usage won't help you. However, one I my friends has 12 adult birds an they go through 2 50# bags if feed a month and her ladies and gents have feee range ability a few hours each evening.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How much of that feed is being scratched out and wasted? Are other critters, rodents or wild birds especially, eating a lot of it? The quality of forage makes a difference too. Those types of things makes it hard to compare our usage of feed.

 

[centrarchid]

Do not forget the importance of how feed is rationed. This means amount in total, amount per feeding, and when feed is applied. I feed less than they will consume early in a day so usually all is cleaned up by noon. The balance of intake comes from foraging. This makes so feed applied is consumed immediately thus reducing availability to rodents and other non-chicken eaters of feed that might get into the following night. Also this keeps birds from getting into the habit of billing through feed and knocking less like components in the ground. I like to see the birds being greedy enough to eat all immediately.

 

[LindaB220]

I only have 4 laying hens so my feed usage won't help you. However, one I my friends has 12 adult birds an they go through 2 50# bags if feed a month and her ladies and gents have feee range ability a few hours each evening.

Wow that's a lot of feed wasted. Ferment feed still saves on feed and money.