how can i tell if i am feeding my chickens to much? not enough, how much do you feed at one time-all

[Arkansas81]

i have a flock of almost 20 standard size chickens. i did have a 2 gallon auto feeder hanging in the coop, took it out cause they were making such a mess out of it. they would kick it out just as soon as i filled it up, once on the ground they hardly touched it. so i started to sprinkle a fair amount all over the coop twice a day. at first they liked that, then after awhile they started to ignore it again then seemed like a LOT of it was getting wasted-again.

they are not free ranged but they do have a nice size yard and coop they can come in and out of at will. they seem like they are always hungry even tho i feed twice a day. so now ive put the auto feeder back in, sitting in a deep pan to catch the excess.

so now i am wondering if keeping that filled at all times is too much food, or is it alright. i dont want to have over weight chickens (yes i know crazy for worrying about their weight) BUT i am concerned if they get to fat what kind of health problems will occur.

I just want happy, healthy chickens-that will be good layers and mommas...so any advice would be wonderful. THANKS!!!!!

 

[akovia]

Are you hanging the auto feeder, or does it sit on the ground? Mine hangs at the height of the back of my smallest run kept bird. There is no mess what so ever. It is always full, so the girls get as much as they want/need. I also offer quite a lot of garden greens and trimmings.

 

[sumi]

I found that my chickens will eat and eat if I have food available all day and some did get quite fat! I had one hen that was so fat, she didn't lay until the was 8 months old and then very seldom. My chickens get 3 small meals a day. Basically whatever they can gobble up in a few minutes and they free range in a pasture where they can eat grass and luserne (alfalfa). If I give them more food, egg production drops. I was worried that I may not be feeding them enough, so I've had a vet examine one of my hens and she assured me the hen had "adequate body fat".

 

[Arkansas81]

well i did what most of you suggested...i rehung my auto feeder at the height of my smallest chicken. I fill it up to where it is almost full and put a pan under the bottom of the auto feeder, with a big rock in it so they couldn't move it around. i just started my big ones on layer mash, and my smaller ones on chick finisher. they seem to really like it...the other which was scratch, they didn't like it. i had a hard time with them eating the other, but now they seem fine.

but they are still making a mess with the food. they still are flinging out some of the food but not quite as bad as before. now i guess i will have to keep putting small teeks with the feeder till it gets to the right advantage for everyone.

still no eggs but should not be long now...i think they are singing me their egg song? their talking sounds different than before. i'm now on egg watch

 

[humphrey farms]

I have 22 layers that are 9 wks old. I use 2 one lb deli containers of "Layer" and make wet mash with it . They devour it up within minutes. I then pick greens by hand 2 x a day and scatter fruit, veggies, and the apple droppings in their run. At 4 pm I hand scatter one 1 lb deli container of scratch. They are loose in their run from 5 am until they roost at 9pm. We also lay fresh hay down every other day. We cut our own w/ our simplicity tractor's sicklebar. We are lucky to have 5 acres of field,fruit trees, wild grapes,raspberries and a veggie garden. They are not fat but healthy.
I cant wait for eggs!

 

[Arkansas81]

wow!

sounds like you have a really good setup! sounds a little like mine and what i would like for my own. i rehung there auto feeder and fill that once a day. if there is a lot of food on the ground then i take it out and let them peck and eat what they have scattered around. my daughter and i have old area rugs laying on the grass that we are tryin to kill off at the back of the run, we go out there a few times a week and lift up the rugs so the crickets jump into the run for my girls.

i am wanting to get our own orchard, all kinds of fruits started this fall. i know we wont be getting anything from that anytime soon. but when we do have fresh fruit, etc left over i do give it to the rabbit, guinea pig, and chickens. but i have noticed they are rather picky...so i guess the rabbit and pig get more treaties.

i know ive been waiting for eggs for the last week or so. mine are right at 17wks, the younger ones around 14wks. so i am hoping that it wont be long. im going to start doing the deep litter method. i have put pine, cut grass down in the run, hay, but sometimes the run still gets stinky. i guess maybe rake in the run a bit more, but it doesn't seem to pooy or anything??? idk, im new at this chicken business so trial and error right now. i might figure this out sometime in the next century??

well anyways thanks for sharing, everyone's thoughts and suggestions are welcome treasures!

 

[donrae]

Just for reference, I have about 2 dozen birds total, either last spring's layers or this spring's POL pullets. I feed 4 big coffee cans of feed a day and supplement with veggies and all kitchen scraps. Sometimes they do seem to waste a lot of feed, if I notice much on the ground around the feeder I just don't fill the feeder that night and the next day they clean it all up. Oh, forgot there are 4 full grown Rouen ducks eating that amount of feed, also.

 

[Arkansas81]

WOW! I just feed one coffee can full of layer a day and scraps or whatever extra a few times a week. I guess it's just a trial and error guessing game. Should I be increasing their intake? Is layer

crumbles enough calicum or do I need to free feed oyster shell too? All in all I have about 25 chickens, the majority are hens. I am still waiting on eggs....well off to put in their boxes! thanks for the

feedback..something to think about

 

[chickengirl93]

I have 33 hens and 2 roosters. I just got my first egg last week. I keep a 5 gallon feeder full all the time. My Chickens free range during the day and are cooped at night. I also feed them fresh fruits and veggies. Their favorite is frozen watermelon. I just read that feeding them mint leaves helps keep them cool in this Texas heat. It naturally lowers the body temp in humans and animals. I don't think my chickens are fat at all. They go through about 50 pounds of feed a week. My oldest chickens are about 5 months old. They hatched in early march.

 

[Arkansas81]

the only bugs that i have seen them eat is crickets...i've tried to give them others but they turn up their noses. my feeder holds 5lbs i think. i went out this morning and they still have food in there..

so i guess they are eating what they want. i saw a homemade feeder that ive seen on here that i really liked. i might put one together when everyone gets in the same pin 24/7. right now my ee's

and polish have a seperate spot to get away from the big girls if they want. im trying another intro for everyone. i tried about a month ago but i had to seperate them again-the big ones were trying

to kill my babies! i opened up both sides last night, so far so good. there is some light pecking and chasing but not like before. so i am hoping for one big happy family soon. ive read feeding them some yogurt is a really good source of calcium, so i might try that. who knows i try many different things so that they dont get bored with their crumbles...i try to think chicken now and again.

anywho~thanks for all of the suggestions! very helpful.