What the heck, my chickens are mowing through the food....

[GC-Raptor]

My five Golden Comets eat about 40# a month in winter.
In summer when I let them out to free range 1 to 2 hours before sunset daily, weather permitting. A 40# bag lasts around 2 1/2 months.
Spring and fall somewhere in between.
I keep my feed in the raised coop. Only way in is through a chicken size door under coop and up a trapdoor ramp. GC

 

[Tgallaher1]

you most likely have rodents. How old are they? If full sized, a bag should last you for a month based on .3#/bird/day.

They just started laying about a week ago. So about 5 months old. And I live in So Cal, so winters are mild.....I'm thinking it may be rodents (a small mouse is the only thing that may get under the coop edge). Im going to bring on some rock.....that should keep them out.

 

[Tgallaher1]

Sparrows, that's what eats ours! No way to keep them out. Plus, our chickens do eat more in the winter here.

Its definitely not sparrows, but may be mice.

 

[Tgallaher1]

It's highly likely that your chickens have learnt to share their feed with unwanted guests, perhaps house mice, pigeons, doves or other wild birds.

How do you feed your chickens;
Do you have a feeder;
Could you post pictures of your chickens feeder;

I think it may be mice. My feeder is 3 three inch pvc tubes. Not on the ground, but a small rodent may be able to climb up the wire mesh. I think I'll bring in some rock and line the bottom of the coop.

 

[Tgallaher1]

Isn't necessarily too far off it is really cold. Is it a 40 or 50 lb. bag?

40 lb bag, but it nearly doubled in super quickly! I think there must be mice out there. I'll bring in some rock to line the base of the coop.

 

[Tgallaher1]

you most likely have rodents. How old are they? If full sized, a bag should last you for a month based on .3#/bird/day.

Just 5 months, just began laying. I think it may be mice because it changed almost overnight.....like within 3 nights food that normally would have lasted a week was gone.

 

[TheFluffyButt]

Its definitely not sparrows, but may be mice.

I have this feeder (not my picture), but it works amazingly.
Since buying this and training the chickens to use it, I've had 0 mice and all of the pigeons and doves have had to move out, it's great! My bag of feed now lasts for 1 and a half months instead of the 3. And that's with 6 chickens munching on a 20kg bag.

I definitely recommend it, I bought mine for $60 and it's saved me much more by the amount of feed that's going to my chickens.

 

[Fairview01]

So, a bag of crumbles was lasting about a month, and now it seems its only about two weeks?!?!?! I have 6 chickens, is it possible that they are just eating more because its winter? Or do you think there are some mice sharing it with them?? Thanks for any advice in advance!

My five Golden Comets eat about 40# a month in winter.
In summer when I let them out to free range 1 to 2 hours before sunset daily, weather permitting. A 40# bag lasts around 2 1/2 months.
Spring and fall somewhere in between.
I keep my feed in the raised coop. Only way in is through a chicken size door under coop and up a trapdoor ramp. GC

I have over 3 dozen chickens. 16 hens that are under extended light conditions that when the all the marans synchronize and lay on the same day i get sixteen eggs. I have about that many large white Cornish also plus a 4 roosters for the laying flock. I feed free choice with feed being available 24 hours a day outside the coop in one of those metal tower feeders. A 50lb of Thunder chicken lay pellets last no less than 7 days and no more than nine days. I do throw cracked corn everyday, a lot more in winter than in summer.

There is a lot of waste going on for you guys. It can be blamed on sparrows, squirrels, mice and rats and even rabbits. But the first and foremost biggest feed waster is our chickens when they are fed crumbles or mash. Unlike pellets chickens can sort and will flick out mash and crumbles to get to those prized nuggets of corn. They're small but if you look closely at your feed, you'll see those golden nuggets and the chickens can see them much better. They will flick that feed out all day long to get to those corn morsels and contrary to misinformation chickens will not scratch around and eat feed off the ground when fresh feed is present in the feeder.

If you aren't going to feed pellets then wet the feed down so that when a handful is squeezed no water comes out but the feed maintains form. They can't flick it out. Or just switch over to pellets. It's the same as crumbles and mash, just a compressed form. I have 6X more chickens and my feed is lasting longer.

 

[Chullicken]

That is a lot of food in a short time. They will consume a lot more in colder months. Probably like suggested looking at a rodent problem, birds and the possibility your flock has some form of worm/parasite over load which will cause them to consume more as they are getting less internally. Also may want to consider what you feed them in, could be scratching around and dumping a lot of it which is what I experienced last year.

 

[Chullicken]

I have over 3 dozen chickens. 16 hens that are under extended light conditions that when the all the marans synchronize and lay on the same day i get sixteen eggs. I have about that many large white Cornish also plus a 4 roosters for the laying flock. I feed free choice with feed being available 24 hours a day outside the coop in one of those metal tower feeders. A 50lb of Thunder chicken lay pellets last no less than 7 days and no more than nine days. I do throw cracked corn everyday, a lot more in winter than in summer.

There is a lot of waste going on for you guys. It can be blamed on sparrows, squirrels, mice and rats and even rabbits. But the first and foremost biggest feed waster is our chickens when they are fed crumbles or mash. Unlike pellets chickens can sort and will flick out mash and crumbles to get to those prized nuggets of corn. They're small but if you look closely at your feed, you'll see those golden nuggets and the chickens can see them much better. They will flick that feed out all day long to get to those corn morsels and contrary to misinformation chickens will not scratch around and eat feed off the ground when fresh feed is present in the feeder.

If you aren't going to feed pellets then wet the feed down so that when a handful is squeezed no water comes out but the feed maintains form. They can't flick it out. Or just switch over to pellets. It's the same as crumbles and mash, just a compressed form. I have 6X more chickens and my feed is lasting longer.

You must stay out in your coop with that many! Really great posting.