Sufficient feeder size?

[Hannahnic14]

So I have one of these 25lb feeders for bantam flock. I have 32 bantams at the moment.

I have a few different ages so I'm worried about the younger ones getting bullied away from the feed. I have a second one coming in this week so I'm thinking of putting it outside since it is weatherproof. Will 2 feeders be enough?

 

[Brooks_]

I think several smaller feeders are better than a couple big ones for large (subjective) flocks.

 

[3KillerBs]

I've seen a figure of allowing 3 inches of feeder per adult hen -- the idea being that all the flock can eat at once.

Round feeders serve more chickens at once than the style you have pictured, which looks like it could only service 2-3 birds at once unless it's MUCH larger than it seems.

I have 3 round feeders for a flock of 20 birds of mixes ages. They can't quite eat all at once, but since I have the feeders widely separated and out of sight from each other I can be sure that all of them get to eat at some point.

 

[Hannahnic14]

I've seen a figure of allowing 3 inches of feeder per adult hen -- the idea being that all the flock can eat at once.

Round feeders serve more chickens at once than the style you have pictured, which looks like it could only service 2-3 birds at once unless it's MUCH larger than it seems.

I have 3 round feeders for a flock of 20 birds of mixes ages. They can't quite eat all at once, but since I have the feeders widely separated and out of sight from each other I can be sure that all of them get to eat at some point.

Hmm, you have good points. Yea, it will only feed 2-3 bantams at a time.. I have a 10lb round feeder that I may just hang on the other side of the coop as well. I'm petrified of my poor chickens being hungry!

 

[3KillerBs]

Hmm, you have good points. Yea, it will only feed 2-3 bantams at a time.. I have a 10lb round feeder that I may just hang on the other side of the coop as well. I'm petrified of my poor chickens being hungry!

Good idea. With only one feeder the dominant birds can guard it from the lower-status birds.

 

[Alaskan]

Good idea. With only one feeder the dominant birds can guard it from the lower-status birds.

So true

 

[blackdog043]

I have a second one coming in this week so I'm thinking of putting it outside since it is weatherproof.

Just make sure no rain can blow in on the front of the feeder.

 

[Al Gerhart]

The birds will do fine with one feeder as long as it holds enough feed so that you aren't refilling too often. Bantams eat about half what a full size RIR hen eats in my experience so a pound of feed per eight birds per day, you need to have maybe four pounds per day at most I would guess? Do the math.

 

[3KillerBs]

The birds will do fine with one feeder as long as it holds enough feed so that you aren't refilling too often. Bantams eat about half what a full size RIR hen eats in my experience so a pound of feed per eight birds per day, you need to have maybe four pounds per day at most I would guess? Do the math.

That's assuming that dominant birds aren't guarding the feeder and preventing subordinates from eating.

 

[Al Gerhart]

In my experience they won't do that for long if there is sufficient feed available. Two feeders is better of course, one will usually be open at any given time.