Restricting food

[Phillyndilly]

Sometimes higher quality feeds cut back on intake. My birds take about 2-3 days longer to eat a full feeder of 21% layer than they do 18% layer.

That’s interesting I sometimes switch between all flock supplementing and just regular but haven’t tracked the differences

 

[Phillyndilly]

Sounds like less than they should be eating personally. I go through about 900 pounds every month with just birds (between 80-120, not an accurate head count yet). Granted pests also likely enjoy some of the food at night, but I don't have turkeys anymore, which eat way more than a chicken will

I feel like the turkeys eat a lot. We have 2 Toms and 3 hens. I know we have mice around but there’s no evidence of them getting into the feeders. We had a drought a while back though and all the animals went nutso squirrels were chewing fist sized holes in the tops!

 

[nuthatched]

That’s interesting I sometimes switch between all flock supplementing and just regular but haven’t tracked the differences

Birds can sense (I guess) about the nutrition of the feed, if birds are gobbling down feed, it might be low nutrition

 

[Phillyndilly]

Oh, and... Many people opt for *soy free* feeds, but the truth is that soya is a great protein and sometimes those feeds are less expensive because people have bought into the marketing hype and don't want it. There is no truth to the idea that there is something wrong with soya. People all over the world eat it multiple times a day with no ill effects. The issue was that it was not grown in North America and there were people who wanted to protect the market. Now we have soya grown in the US, so we know it is great quality.

It might be worth asking your feed store if there is a higher protein soy food that might save a little money

We don’t do a soy free right now but I have heard it’s “bad” and honestly I haven’t looked into it enough to know if that’s true. We have yet to find a reliable feed mill but trying very hard right now because it just would cut the costs so much for us having a bulk delivery. We usually do middle of the road feed not organic but not the cheapest so I’m pretty sure most have soy and the girls have been fine. We’ve had very up and down weather this winter that’s getting to them the most

 

[Phillyndilly]

Birds can sense (I guess) about the nutrition of the feed, if birds are gobbling down feed, it might be low nutrition

Ya we usually buy a middle of the road feed just for cost purposes I would love to buy organic but no way we can afford that. Do you find buying a really high protein consistently helps with health or just consumption?

 

[nuthatched]

Ya we usually buy a middle of the road feed just for cost purposes I would love to buy organic but no way we can afford that. Do you find buying a really high protein consistently helps with health or just consumption?

Well, I've always fed higher protein feed so I can't compare it to anything.
However, considering how many things a chicken needs protein for, skin, feathers, hormone regulation that controls laying, tissue, not to mention eggs, which are about 6 grams of protein, I think it's better for them.
They seem to be doing great, shiny, bright and a bushy tailed.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

We don’t do a soy free right now but I have heard it’s “bad” and honestly I haven’t looked into it enough to know if that’s true. We have yet to find a reliable feed mill but trying very hard right now because it just would cut the costs so much for us having a bulk delivery. We usually do middle of the road feed not organic but not the cheapest so I’m pretty sure most have soy and the girls have been fine. We’ve had very up and down weather this winter that’s getting to them the most

I would not worry about organic in your situation, the organic ones I have seen are lower in protein because they have limited source ingredients. They are fine on non-organic feeds. I am sure the sunshine and running around outside makes them and their eggs better than a hen who eats organic and stays in a windowless commercial coop.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

For what is worth, my flock is a bit more than half yours (see signature, below) with no geese or turkeys. I've been working on my free range pasture, and have a lot of work left to go. I'm also in a more forgiving climate, though my soils may be much worse (that is, there is TREMENDOUS) variation in range quality from person to person.

I'm currently feeding a bit over 200# a month - but was feeding 50-60# more than that in February. When things peak, I might get down to just 185# a month or so - we'll see if any of the sorghum and buckwheet survived into this year. My prarie grassses (scribner's panicgrass, mostly) is already starting to seed, and I've seen three of my four clovers already this year, for reference. Plus both flax (blue, toad).

As to the pasture, I'm spending what it seems to save me in feed costs each year back into new seed - so technically, I'm not "saving" anything, I'm investing for the future. But I do throw about $150-$200 worth of seed at it each year to see what will establish and persist.

If I were to pretend my Pekins were chickens (and they aren't, they eat a good bit more), and we estimated the current flock size as 50, at 7.5#/bird month (1/4# per day x 30 days) I should be going through about 375# of feed each month - so I'm already in my best year ever. My first year, savings were between 10% and 25% across the seasons, never got below 300# of feed a month.

 

[Shadrach]

Hello everyone,
I have a very large mixed flock probably around 100 chickens and roosters, 5 turkeys, 9 geese, 12 ducks.
They are offered free choice in garbage can pvc feeders that I uncap in the morning.
They have access to a fenced 1.5-2 acre area to free range in all the time and they get locked up at night.
They are going through 250 lbs of food in not even 2 weeks.
I’m thinking about starting to restrict their food since it is spring now. And maybe uncap the feeders in the afternoon to see it this makes a difference. I know it’s a lot or birds but they just seem to be going through food so so fast! Any thoughts?

You don't have enough room for forage to make that bigger impact on your feed bill. To survive on mainly forage with say commercial feed given in the evening only you're looking at half an acre per breeding pair at a minimum and that's assuming varied good quality forage.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You don't have enough room for forage to make that bigger impact on your feed bill. To survive on mainly forage with say commercial feed given in the evening only you're looking at half an acre per breeding pair at a minimum and that's assuming varied good quality forage.

I should have included that as additional reference, its a great point. My flock has about 2 acres of pasture, and three more of underbrushed upland forest to range, they sometimes go beyond that, by going over the gates at the electric fence. Eventually, I plan to clear 5 acres of pasture with another 10 acre of forest "buffer" between me and the neighbors. Then figure out what to do with the other half the property.