There has got to be a way to _________

[electrycmonk]

My latest search during the last silkie chickie sad spell yielded ~2500 results
Before that, other searches would yield ~15-45 posts or threads.

Many went unanswered or answered in a way contrary to the questions hope/desired outcome etal. Too many of this I speak, had this one reply that seemed to kill the thread as no replies seemed to follow up, "keep the bowl full of food just like the water."

Only 1 that I had found, so far, started to tease an actual answer only to be cut short with an answer for later stages innthenchickens life cycle= full grown.

IF: We know that raising cats, dogs, calves, & human kiddos that each meal needs to be approx "x" Oz's based on size, weight & age of the species...

THEN: why has there not been a find-able scale for chickens & other fowl that I can findwhich would also vindicate all of these other threads in the process?

Here is where I'm coming from (If I haven't been clear enough so far)

A given percentage of food is burned as energy & the rest is either used as building blocks for growth, healing &/or survival OR it's excreted as waste.

It seems that logic would dictate that a reasonable approximation should of already been forthcoming over the decade or so?
(In case my hand writing above the graph in the picture is not legible to you here it is)
"A sweeping generalization graph below is more than enough to understand where I'm coming from & that I'm not asking for the moon or anything that grandiose."


The whole idea came about for the sincere wish to know how much would be a minimum goal when you're feeding a sickly chickie/hen/etal and the syringe or Tupperware lid has tsp or tbsp scaled amounts of food stuffs....

That way you can guess with some safety that your not accidentally starving them........

 

[igorsMistress]

I get where you're coming from. Generally though you need to feed them enough to fill their crop at each feeding. If a chick is peeping like it's hungry and the crop is empty then start there. The amount you feed a hen or roo is going to be roughly 1/4 to 1/3 cup per day; divide that into however many feedings are necessary but it can vary a little bit based on the size of the crop. There is no pat answer when it comes to birds in my opinion. Also, chicks are growing rapidly. The amount of feed they'll need will constantly change.

 

[speedy2020]

My latest search during the last silkie chickie sad spell yielded ~2500 results
Before that, other searches would yield ~15-45 posts or threads.

Many went unanswered or answered in a way contrary to the questions hope/desired outcome etal. Too many of this I speak, had this one reply that seemed to kill the thread as no replies seemed to follow up, "keep the bowl full of food just like the water."

Only 1 that I had found, so far, started to tease an actual answer only to be cut short with an answer for later stages innthenchickens life cycle= full grown.

IF: We know that raising cats, dogs, calves, & human kiddos that each meal needs to be approx "x" Oz's based on size, weight & age of the species...

THEN: why has there not been a find-able scale for chickens & other fowl that I can findwhich would also vindicate all of these other threads in the process?

Here is where I'm coming from (If I haven't been clear enough so far)

A given percentage of food is burned as energy & the rest is either used as building blocks for growth, healing &/or survival OR it's excreted as waste.

It seems that logic would dictate that a reasonable approximation should of already been forthcoming over the decade or so?
(In case my hand writing above the graph in the picture is not legible to you here it is)
"A sweeping generalization graph below is more than enough to understand where I'm coming from & that I'm not asking for the moon or anything that grandiose."
View attachment 2297158

The whole idea came about for the sincere wish to know how much would be a minimum goal when you're feeding a sickly chickie/hen/etal and the syringe or Tupperware lid has tsp or tbsp scaled amounts of food stuffs....

That way you can guess with some safety that your not accidentally starving them........

Don't make it so complicate. You just feed them and they will eat. I do give them store feed and also left over fruits, veggie, cake, grass cutting, and they don't really care. They will stop when full or tire of the food. It is that simple and easy.

 

[electrycmonk]

Don't make it so complicate. You just feed them and they will eat. I do give them store feed and also left over fruits, veggie, cake, grass cutting, and they don't really care. They will stop when full or tire of the food. It is that simple and easy.

My last 2 small paragraphs after the picture "are the reason for this posting" & I have a difficult time seeing *THAT* as "too complicated" because it's dealing with sick or injured birds or Chickie's.

 

[electrycmonk]

I get where you're coming from. Generally though you need to feed them enough to fill their crop at each feeding. If a chick is peeping like it's hungry and the crop is empty then start there. The amount you feed a hen or roo is going to be roughly 1/4 to 1/3 cup per day; divide that into however many feedings are necessary but it can vary a little bit based on the size of the crop. There is no pat answer when it comes to birds in my opinion. Also, chicks are growing rapidly. The amount of feed they'll need will constantly change.

Well, at least I can "chew on this tidbit" you said, as it parallels a few of the thread killing posts - those didn't seem to also add the reference to crop size....

Not sure how yet....

 

[JaeG]

The fact that there are so many sizes of chickens makes it impossible to have one recommendation that covers all situations, unlike say, when you are hand rearing cockatiels which are pretty similar in size. And if a chick/chicken hasn't been eating enough their crop will actually shrink which means it cannot hold as much as a healthy crop. In that case little and often is the key.

Feed them until you can see their crop bulge but not to excess because it won't empty efficiently and they could potentially knock it against something causing food to go back up their windpipe and the bird to aspirate. It's safer to give them a bit less than a bit too much.