Starving chickens

[princessloretta]

I live on a .75 acre lot with an orchard and farm behind our house that my husband’s family owns.
I have about 25 chickens and let them free range during the day. My yard is full of alfalfa and grass and weeds because my husband has zero time to take care of it since he farms and has another job and I would have no clue what to do with the yard, so our chickens and goats roam it.
But I feed them(chickens) in the morning, layer feed and give them all our leftovers and whatever scraps we have. We give them fruit right now, peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe and tomatoes. But they’re always acting as if they’re starving.
They come running and go crazy in the afternoon when I give them food so I feed them some more layer crumbles.
Just wondering if maybe they’re not getting enough food.
Some are a year old and most are five months old now. Thank you!

 

[nuthatched]

They aren't, really.
Offer them a high protein layer during daylight hours, unless you have feral flocks of roving chickens, there likely isn't enough nutrition to support your birds.
Fruits and veggies aren't nutrient dense for animals that don't have an advanced digestion system.

 

[Sally PB]

Can you switch to an all flock/flock maker/flock raiser type of feed and have oystershells on the side?

That will give them more protein, and the oyster shell will cover their calcium needs. All the fruit and veg are diluting what protein the layer feed is giving them.

Back in "the old days," farmers did what you're doing. The chickens would glean dropped feed from other animals and laid about half as many eggs as modern chickens.

 

[princessloretta]

Can you switch to an all flock/flock maker/flock raiser type of feed and have oystershells on the side?

That will give them more protein, and the oyster shell will cover their calcium needs. All the fruit and veg are diluting what protein the layer feed is giving them.

Back in "the old days," farmers did what you're doing. The chickens would glean dropped feed from other animals and laid about half as many eggs as modern chickens.

I give oyster shells occasionally. Not everyday but I will switch to daily. Is there a brand of feed you recommend? Thank you so much!

 

[princessloretta]

They aren't, really.
Offer them a high protein layer during daylight hours, unless you have feral flocks of roving chickens, there likely isn't enough nutrition to support your birds.
Fruits and veggies aren't nutrient dense for animals that don't have an advanced digestion system.

Thank you!

 

[Shadrach]

I live on a .75 acre lot with an orchard and farm behind our house that my husband’s family owns.
I have about 25 chickens and let them free range during the day. My yard is full of alfalfa and grass and weeds because my husband has zero time to take care of it since he farms and has another job and I would have no clue what to do with the yard, so our chickens and goats roam it.
But I feed them(chickens) in the morning, layer feed and give them all our leftovers and whatever scraps we have. We give them fruit right now, peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe and tomatoes. But they’re always acting as if they’re starving.
They come running and go crazy in the afternoon when I give them food so I feed them some more layer crumbles.
Just wondering if maybe they’re not getting enough food.
Some are a year old and most are five months old now. Thank you!

How much layer feed do they eat when you feed it in the mornings and how much crumble in the evenings?
I very much doubt your chickens are starving and your feeding routine sounds very much like the routine I had when I looked after ranging chickens.
What I would suggest is don't feed them kitchen scraps, fruit etc until just before they go to roost.
I fed once in the morning, an all flock type feed because I had males, elderly non layers and pullets and cockerels. I didn't leave the feed down. I waited until they left the food station.
That was it until evening feed. They got that first, usuallt a mash and after they had lost interest in that, I fed them the so called treat food.

 

[Chickensss1]

I live on a .75 acre lot with an orchard and farm behind our house that my husband’s family owns.
I have about 25 chickens and let them free range during the day. My yard is full of alfalfa and grass and weeds because my husband has zero time to take care of it since he farms and has another job and I would have no clue what to do with the yard, so our chickens and goats roam it.
But I feed them(chickens) in the morning, layer feed and give them all our leftovers and whatever scraps we have. We give them fruit right now, peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe and tomatoes. But they’re always acting as if they’re starving.
They come running and go crazy in the afternoon when I give them food so I feed them some more layer crumbles.
Just wondering if maybe they’re not getting enough food.
Some are a year old and most are five months old now. Thank you!

To me it sounds like they have enough food. Your supplementing their diet as well. My chickens have constant access to food and still come running like there absolutely starved. Most animals do that regardless unless they drop tons of weight don’t stress about it.

 

[Sally PB]

I give oyster shells occasionally. Not everyday but I will switch to daily. Is there a brand of feed you recommend? Thank you so much!

I feed my chickens Kalmbach Flock Maker. Look for terms like "all flock" or "flock raiser" or "flock maker" with a protein percentage of around 20%. Most, if not all, of the major brands will have that kind of formulation, though the name might vary. Some brands also have organic or non-GMO or no soy variations on this.

I have 5 laying hens, 5 non-laying pullets, and a rooster. All the birds can eat the same food, and the layers will take the oystershell as they need it. Another source of calcium is their own eggshells, crushed. I have a dish of that out too. I see the ladies take some of each of the sources of calcium.

 

[Brooks_]

I agree with some above that it is likely a nutritional imbalance. I would suggest a higher protein feed left out for their free choice. Oyster shell left free choice as well.