advice on chicken feed amounts

[mull]

ive had my chickens for 3 months or so now egg laying pure hoping it will get better. ive took on advice from this site and very happy to do so so thanks all. now feeding how much 4 birds should eat a day?? i give half a pint of layers pellets in the morning . half a pint soaked in the afternoon . theres a bit left say at bed time i throw away is this enough or to much and can i keep whats left till morning. refeed it ?

[tortzblue]

Hiya - I was told on this site to keep dry mash or pellets available all day for them so they don't ever run out. Especially if your girls aren't free range. Since I've done this my girls are much calmer and less frantic! I also give them a few handfuls of green stuff midday and a little grated veg mixed with a little mash as a pre bedtime treat. That way there is nothing wasted and they're never hungry!

[gromit]

My chickens have a feeder full of chicken mix complete hung up in the coop available to them 24/7 plus they get any scraps that are going plus all the garden waste to pick over plus any other unfortunate creature that happens to wander into the run.
Total feeding time is about half an hour a week, I always keep an eye on the water feeder and there is water available to them overnight in the coop.
I average 4 to five eggs a day from 7 chickens most of the year round and they are in good nick apart from the occasional moulter hanging around.
Chickens know when they are full and demand feed quite happily and are by far the easiest creatures I have ever had to feed and will always look for me when I am about in the garden
The garden waste and scraps get them excited and stimulate them mentally leading to happy chickens.

[chicks&cats]

I leave dry layers pellets out during the day and bring them in at night to try and put off rats etc. They eat as much as they want and it gets topped up as needed. The chickens get treats such as corn, leftovers and greens in the afternoon. They still get excited at treat time

[mull]

thanks every body i feel a lot better now that im doing nothing to wrong and just hopie egg laying comes some time soon.?

[mull]

how do you keep the rain out of the feeder grommit?

[gromit]

it's hung from the roof in the coop, so it keeps dry and they can get at it 24/7

[mull]

see there you go i was told not to feed 24/7 take feed out of the coop leave only water in there feed outside in the run layers no corn titbits when you have some save corn for the colder months

[LisaB]

Hello!
They don't need water or feed at night, but should have both available at all times during the day. And keep corn for winter nights
Our run is roofed so it keeps the feed dry, but you can make a little shelter in the run if it isn't roofed. Out of an old chair, a piece of wood, anything really that would give shelter.

[silverback]

Exactly as Lisa says! , no point in putting food and water inside the coop, chooks digest what food they have eaten during the day when they roost, food and water in the coop will only get spilt or pooped in! ..

[gromit]

doesn't happen, plenty of room, it works, can't say I have had an incident of poop in the feeder, mind you there is enough room between the feeder and the perch, hey it's up to you but its hassle free feeding for me and they are thriving on it

[silverback]

gromit wrote:doesn't happen, plenty of room, it works, can't say I have had an incident of poop in the feeder, mind you there is enough room between the feeder and the perch, hey it's up to you but its hassle free feeding for me and they are thriving on it

Thats fine , if you have room in the coop!, but one of the main reasons that I dont put food inside the coop is that the chooks just go in to roost not feed, but also there is no food inside to attract vermin during the night!..

[mull]

some of the advice a bit contradictory so it seams that its a bit trial n error???

[LisaB]

some of the advice a bit contradictory so it seams that its a bit trial n error???

They really don't need anything in the coop at night
They go in their to sleep, so no food or water is needed.

[Skeksis]

It doesn't matter if you keep food in the coop or not. Just consider that if you can't get up super early every day to let them out, they can still eat or if you have to shut them in for snyder reason ditto. I don't get poop in my feeder or drinker as they are both stood on a shelf which they jump onto to feed/drink however I found that a ceramic planter of just the right diameter will allow the feeder to be stood in it but will only go about an inch down. This is poop and bedding proof, spill proof and MUCH cheaper than a feeder with legs. My coop is on concrete blocks to help prevent vermin but I am careful about feeding.

Remember to feed dry food constantly, they will pick little and often. When I first got my hens I tended to over feed and wasted lots of food each day. The feeder full of dry pellets always available has been a very good solution for me. Wet mash, you only need about a fist size bit at MOST per hen and that may even be too much. Also, any wet mash they leave has to be thrown out each day due to bacteria. I give a tin of chopped tomatoes to my hens once per week which I find they love and helps to prevent crop problems by keeping the crop acid. You will soon find the right balance for your hens, don't worry.