Question about how much feed?

[Teresaann24]

Quote:
Wow. that is alot of feed....What are you feeding?

 

[nicoe]

layer pellets and scratch grains

 

[azelgin]

I don't know what to tell you. Our feeders are always kept full with layer pellets, so they are never without a source of food. They get 1 1/2 lbs of scratch, for 49 chickens (including the four roosters and two bantys), when we let them out in the morning. They forage for whatever they can find during the day. Even this winter, with egg laying slowed down and forage scarce, they manage to buy their own feed, selling their eggs to the neighbors for $2.00 a dozen. During the summer, they pay to feed the cat and the dogs too.

 

[ChickenCop]

32 birds at 100 lbs in 8 days....thats about 3 lbs a day for each birds??? is my math close? ...Man I wish I had that kinda money to afford that...lol

 

[Kim_NC]

Quote:
Ok i'll try that...I just heard corn was good through the winter cause it builds up their body heat. So i have been giving them corn istead of the mixed grain feed I feed them all spring/summer.

Corn is good to make body heat for Winter. But they can have too much of it. We keep it down to less than 20-25% of their feed per day. And we only feed it in Winter, never during warm months.

For Nicoe 's example....
32 birds at 100 lbs in 8 days is 0.39 lbs per bird per day. That's a little high...0.25 to 0.33 lbs is typical.

For Teresaann24's example....
50lbs of corn and 25lbs of laying mash for 11 hens/roos in 30 days is 0.227 lbs per bird per day. (75 lbs / 30 days /11 birds. I didn't figure in the chicks or their starter feed.)
That's about right, but I would cut way back on the corn and feed the laying mash instead.

Corn is only about 8% protein. Chickens need 16% protein or more to make eggs and feathers efficiently. Corn is a high carb, starchy treat to them...or like candy.

There will be less waste if you feed laying pellets rather than crumbles/mash. They peck through dry crumbles, wasting, to get the pieces they want. They can't do that with pellets...and those pellets knocked on the floor will still be eaten.

We do feed a wetted mash of 28% game bird crumbles to our flocks each afternoon. We do this to up their protein and balance out kitchen scraps and garden refuse. If you wet the crumbles and feed them from a deeper feeder, pan or bowl, there is much less waste.

ETA: Our flocks have 20% layer pellets available free choice 24/7.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
It's actually about 0.4 lbs per bird per day.

Those who feel their chickens are eating an unreasonable lot of food may want to think about taking measures to prevent spillage and billing-out (such as raising the feeder to the height of the chickens' backs, so they are not really bending down to eat) and whether mice or wild birds may be getting into it.

I honestly don't recall how long a 50 lb bag lasts my 15 chickens (I should look it up when I go out there this morning, I do write things down) but I believe it is on the order of 3+ weeks?


Pat

 

[digginchicks]

I go through so much feed it isnt even funny. I have 29 chickens and they eat like crazy I think I am going to need to get a job just to feed them. lol

 

[nicoe]

Thanks! I will cut back on the food...because i'm gonna have to get a second job just to feed them also!

 

[6chix]

I have 25 chickens and am going through about 25-30lbs per week. They also get about 1-2 lbs of sunflower seed and 1 lb of cracked corn per day. They also get a few visits every day from my wife the "Snack Lady" LOL

 

[rizq]

We have about 70 chickens (give or take a few ... I thought we had a lot more than that until I actually counted

) and 2 turkeys and we go through 150 pounds of layer in 6 days. Our chickens range from the tiny seramas to the huge brahmas (FEATHERED PIGS!) and we have about every size in between. 22 of those are Brahmas, about 18 normal sized chickens, 9 banty EE, the rest are serama and OEG.

Our feed usage averages to 1/3 pound per chicken per day, which means that some are eating WAY more than that because I guarantee you that a serama cannot eat that much

and they are not even offered that much. My pen of 4 gets about a cup a day and always has leftovers.

Becki
The feathered pig farmer