When feeding...when is enough...enough?

[4H kids and mom]

The chicks are eating so much! I fill their food trough before bed and its bone empty by morning. I fill it again, and by noon its empty again! I'm feeding them at least THREE times a day now. Is it possible to OVERFEED them? I know with chicks like the broilers and meat birds you have to be careful not to overfeed them, but what about normal growth chicks? Should they be eating this much at 2 weeks old? Is it just time to transition to a bigger feeder? Everything else appears normal (poop looks good, everybodies happy and active and chubby). Advice would be great!

 

[pegbo]

That is quite alot! Are you sure they're not spilling it into the litter? I'd feed them in the morning and again at night. Try giving them some treats, like cut up cooked egg or shredded cabbage, lettuce, etc. I don't think mine ate quite that much in a day. You could also give them a little starter grit, not to much as they will fill up on that instead of their feed. Just sprinkle it in their food.

 

[BeckyLa]

My chicks always pick through the feed to find just the right piece.

As a result a lot of it gets thrown into the bedding. I usually take the feeder out for a few hours a day and let them scratch through the bedding and clean at least some of it up. I think if you'll push the bedding aside around the feeder you'll find lots of feed under it.

 

[keljonma]

All new chicks do is eat, sleep, poop. That's their normal behavior.

What kind of feeders do you have? Are they covered?

We found the covered feeders better because the little tykes can't scratch the feed out of the feeders to find that perfect piece.

 

[chickbea]

I don't think there is a type of critter anywhere that wastes more food than a chicken! They toss it far and wide as they search for just the piece they want.

 

[4H kids and mom]

The feeder is covered one with 28 holes (14 on each side) and its over 2' long. I thought this would give them ample room for everyone (even has one extra hole..lol) but they just seem to be eating soooo much I can hardly keep up! When the feeder is empty, the cheap-cheap loudly until I fill it again. Is that just normal, or are they well on their way to being as spoiled as every other animal in our care?

If I feed them in the morning and again at night (before bed) is that enough for them? Can they be without food for awhile?

 

[silkiechicken]

I only have a 1 foot feeder and 10 chicks that are 4 weeks old. I fill their feeder 3 times a day.... On a more long term scale though..

I can raise either 4 cornish crosses or 18 leghorns for about 7 weeks on 50 lbs of feed. It depends on the birds, but filling twice a day doesn't seem too bad if you have 25 birds eating out of a chick feeder. Do check for spillage though. About 25% is probably on the floor as their little beaks are feed spreaders. I raised my feeder to back height to reduce feed loss.

 

[keljonma]

Quote:
Chickens live to eat. They will not over eat (we're talking layers here, not meat birds like Cornish, aren't we?)...

It is NOT good for your birds to be without food or water. Can you add another feeder?