hey again just curious i have 15 fully grown hens and i have a 10kg feeder which i fill the only problem is it only lasts 3 days surely that should last a week this will cost me a fortune if i keep this up , this is a new feeder only filling with layers pellets now i was doing mixed corn and layers 50/50 but thought that was problem so gone for 100% layers but still only lasting 3 days any ideas
chicken feed amount
- Thread starter dye29
- Start date
bigyetiman
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 16, 2017
- Messages
- 2,474
- Reaction score
- 249
You don't say what sized hens you have, I assume they are average size rather than bantams. I believe the average consumption for a laying hybrid is roughly 120- 140g per day, so you will get through a fair amount.
Is the feeder in a secure area as rodents and wild birds can help themselves to a lot without you ever knowing. had a friend who was losing a lot of feed and it transpired she had it in a secure run, i.e fox proof but not rat proof. Amazing what they can get through.
Is the feeder in a secure area as rodents and wild birds can help themselves to a lot without you ever knowing. had a friend who was losing a lot of feed and it transpired she had it in a secure run, i.e fox proof but not rat proof. Amazing what they can get through.
3441sussex
New member
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2013
- Messages
- 61
- Reaction score
- 0
I have 16 fully grown hens and they don't eat quite that much. I get through just over 12kg of pellets a week. I have two 9kg Grandpas feeders which are definitely rat and crow proof. I agree that something else much be eating your pellets and would recommend getting a Grandpas feeder, They are quite expensive, but you will save money in the long run. My hens do not free range, but are enclosed in a substantial electric fenced area and also have access to grass/weeds as well as their pellets. I give them a couple handfuls of wheat every afternoon as a scratch feed.
You will find that chicken keeping is a very expensive hobby, especially noticeable in the winter when you are feeding the hens, but getting no eggs.
You will find that chicken keeping is a very expensive hobby, especially noticeable in the winter when you are feeding the hens, but getting no eggs.
I allow 1 kilo of pellets per hen when mixing Flubenvet for a week's worming treatment, so that would be 15 kilos per week for your flock. !0 kilos would then last 4 days, probably. 10 kilos would certainly not last a week for 15 birds. You are probably losing some, but maybe not quite as much as you imagine.
Could you say what kind of feeder it is? Is it open to wild birds or rats? Can the hens scatter the feed by flipping it out using beaks or feet?
You were right to stop mixing corn in with the pellets. Only give very small handfuls of corn as a treat to make them tame enough to come to you, as it's fattening and will reduce egg production if you feed too much.
Could you say what kind of feeder it is? Is it open to wild birds or rats? Can the hens scatter the feed by flipping it out using beaks or feet?
You were right to stop mixing corn in with the pellets. Only give very small handfuls of corn as a treat to make them tame enough to come to you, as it's fattening and will reduce egg production if you feed too much.
ye there normal size hens light sussex and hybrids , the feed is hung off the shed roof indoors from birds /rats , i keep a rat cage in shed but never had anything , i was tempted to buy a nature camera to see if rodants are pinching it but then though if they are i can stop them . my feeder is a open top galvinised one sorry wont let me upload a pic
RichmondHens
New member
Do you leave the feeder there all the time or do you remove it at night? You may not see rats or mice in the daytime but they will certainly be about at night. Remove the feeder once the hens have gone to roost, and put it back out in the morning. See if that makes a difference to the consumption. I do think maybe though you are underestimating how much hens eat if they are confined within in a pen 24/7 (free rangers eat less pellet as they can forage for what they need) - some hens are just plain greedy and if the food is there all the time they will eat and eat. Do you think your hens are getting fat?
I used to fill my feeders up but found that the greedy birds ate far more than they needed and the weight differences between birds was quite noticeable. I now give my birds a measured amount of food once a day when I let them out and when it's gone it's gone - usually after 30 minutes! They forage the rest of the time and get a small scratch feed of wheat at tea time.
The only birds I let free feed are the ones I am fattening for the oven!!
I used to fill my feeders up but found that the greedy birds ate far more than they needed and the weight differences between birds was quite noticeable. I now give my birds a measured amount of food once a day when I let them out and when it's gone it's gone - usually after 30 minutes! They forage the rest of the time and get a small scratch feed of wheat at tea time.
The only birds I let free feed are the ones I am fattening for the oven!!
If your birds are let out to a large area where they can free range, yes they may be OK with feeding once (or preferably twice) a day. But if you keep them in an enclosed run, or don't have enough good free range grazing, I think they do need feed available all the day time. Chickens are not like us, they don't take regular meals at set times with gaps in between, they feed mostly by frequent nibbles and if they don't have food for hours, will then stuff themselves to fill their empty crops, which isn't good for their digestion. Also, you wouldn't be able to tell whether the lower-ranking birds had had enough, if all their feed was gone.
I feel more comfortable leaving food out for them, at least during the day, as mine live in a big run with no access to wild birds or vermin. They don't seem to get fat, but If they're left hungry for long periods waiting for a meal, i'm sure egg production would drop, as well as causing discomfort to the birds. Removing the feeder at night is a good idea, - providing you can get up early enough to replace it at dawn, when they wake up very hungry.
I feel more comfortable leaving food out for them, at least during the day, as mine live in a big run with no access to wild birds or vermin. They don't seem to get fat, but If they're left hungry for long periods waiting for a meal, i'm sure egg production would drop, as well as causing discomfort to the birds. Removing the feeder at night is a good idea, - providing you can get up early enough to replace it at dawn, when they wake up very hungry.
hmm im thinking now this is normal as when i first got hens i was goin up regular with veg scraps ect then latley havnt had any but last 3 days ive purhased some for hens and theres half food left in feeder after 3 days so prob normal
its got to point now the feed is empty in a day and half i dont know much about hens but im sure they cant eat 10kg and veg peelings in that short period so ive invested in a treadle feeder so i shall let you guys know how they get on with it