How do I know that I'm feeding enough?

COWLOVINGIRL
COWLOVINGIRL Posts: 954 ✭✭✭✭
in Birds (Land Fowl & Waterfowl)

Does anyone have any tips for how to know if you're feeding you're chickens enough food? Thanks!

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  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,215 admin

    If there is any left over after your day, you can cut back a bit. Certain hybrids won't stop eating (cornish cross). Some people say to feed as much as a bird will consume within 15 minutes and no more. We have free choice feed, & they are unfortunately not free range.

    There are many formulas online that claim to know amounts, but there is a lot that factors into it that they often don't mention. Quality of feed, content of feed, size & number of birds, weather (cold weather demands different content & sometimes more quantity), free range or not, and more. My jersey giants ate more while growing, but eat less as a huge adult bird.

    Have you tried fermenting grains for them? This cuts down on feed costs and is very healthy among other benefits.

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  • COWLOVINGIRL
    COWLOVINGIRL Posts: 954 ✭✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning Actually, funny you ask, I just (like, a few days ago) started doing that! Today I checked it and it has a nice sweet and tangy aroma, so I think it's ready!

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  • Slippy
    Slippy Posts: 117 ✭✭✭
    edited November 2020
    https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/845351/how-do-i-know-that-im-feeding-enough

    Chickens pretty much eat ( and crap!) all day. If they have a Coop and a Run area and get plenty of exercise you really cannot over-feed them. We keep a large feeder inside the Coop and most days toss in fresh veggie waste/leaves etc into their run. They love most veggies, leaves and stuff like that. We don't Free Range our chickens but they have a contained area (we call it the Chicken Courtyard) to range and eat bugs grass etc.

    I even feed my chickens grass clipping after I mow the yard. They love it! Keep plenty of Grit/Oyster Shells around to help their digestion. I just don't think that you can over-feed chickens but I do know mine let me know (LOUDLY) when their Feeder is out of food!

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  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,215 admin

    @Slippy Actually, you can overfeed chickens. If your hens get too fat, they won't lay.

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  • Slippy
    Slippy Posts: 117 ✭✭✭
    https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/881755#Comment_881755

    Good to know! Thanks!

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  • COWLOVINGIRL
    COWLOVINGIRL Posts: 954 ✭✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning Thank you for mentioning that!

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