What is the right amount to feed chickens and what is the best method to feed them? Should I let them have 24 hour access and keep the feeder full or should I be feeding them twice a day and a certain amount per bird? I have 10 chickens and the large 'barnyard' feeder. If I fill this up, which takes half a 50lb bag of feed, it is gone within a day...Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!Thanks,Susan
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Thanks Chris,
I'll have to figure out how to get the feeder out of the coop as I rigged it in on a cable pretty tight I'll bet that some of those baby rats are having a party out there at night while we're all sleeping...=0)
Are they ok in this cold weather? There's a few wooden rods for them to roost on and some shade cloth that seems to block most the wind. Not sure how cold hardy chickens are...
I had a problem with wild birds for a little while and during that time my feed was disappearing then I began to only feed them once a day in the morning and eventually figured out the right amount of food. I couldn't possibly tell you how much it is. I eyeballed it for my seven chickens through trial and err. Now we have no wild birds visiting i'm sure due to the weather so I just fill it all the way and it lasts for weeks.
Here's the run down on the girls.
I have a range of ages and varieties.
2 old maids 2-3 years, 1 Americauna and 1 buff orpington
4 farmyard pullets, 1 just laid her first egg today
1 Americauna pullet
1 Polish Bantam - 8 mos, no eggs yet
1 frizzle/cochin cross boy or girl (can't tell the sex yet)
1 wyndonette pullet (I think..brown with white/black specks, feathers on her legs, toes)
We bought a dog run at Lowe's (as Racheal suggested to use as a reverse run to keep the dogs out) which works GREAT and fed the neighborhood flock of 500 sparrows for about a month before we realized we had to do something. We covered the run with a roof and enclosed the entire cage with bird netting. This has been 99.9% effective. At least the flock of 500 are not roosting on my fence anymore just waiting for me to turn my back before darting in mass at the cage!
I'm buying 'natural' pellets from Tempe feed which are a smaller size since none of the girls will eat the larger laying pellets. They like the natural but seem to peck out a bunch just while they are eating. I'm working at the garden too so I'll treat them with a handful of scratch and some greens once or twice a day.
We recently caught a roof rat in the pomegranite tree a few nights ago. It was definately a juvenile. I am 'mostly' certain that the rats are not eating the chicken food as I know I'd see evidence or holes in the bird netting.......wouldn't I?
I usually pick up our girls' feeder at night, because I noticed coackroaches in it, eating away the feed, when I leave it out at night. So that might be another culprit depleting your stock of feed.
I agree with the other comments. Don't allow 24 access unless wild birds/animals can't get to it. They're eating you out of house and home. 50 lbs should last you -at least- 3 weeks with 10 birds. Get an automatic programmable dog feeder or feed them twice a day, or you'll go broke! :)
I suspect you have rodents and many dozens of wild birds feasting on a majority of your feed. I feel that 24 hour access is best if you can keep the wild animals from eating most of the feed. I have ten free-range laying hens. A 50 pound bag of feed can last several weeks because I feed all they can eat twice daily plus supplement with healthy kitchen scraps and occasional scratch treat. I will revert back to 24-hour access to feed after I have purchased an automatic self-feeder as seen on a thread elsewhere on this forum.
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I'll have to figure out how to get the feeder out of the coop as I rigged it in on a cable pretty tight I'll bet that some of those baby rats are having a party out there at night while we're all sleeping...=0)
Are they ok in this cold weather? There's a few wooden rods for them to roost on and some shade cloth that seems to block most the wind. Not sure how cold hardy chickens are...
I have a range of ages and varieties.
2 old maids 2-3 years, 1 Americauna and 1 buff orpington
4 farmyard pullets, 1 just laid her first egg today
1 Americauna pullet
1 Polish Bantam - 8 mos, no eggs yet
1 frizzle/cochin cross boy or girl (can't tell the sex yet)
1 wyndonette pullet (I think..brown with white/black specks, feathers on her legs, toes)
We bought a dog run at Lowe's (as Racheal suggested to use as a reverse run to keep the dogs out) which works GREAT and fed the neighborhood flock of 500 sparrows for about a month before we realized we had to do something. We covered the run with a roof and enclosed the entire cage with bird netting. This has been 99.9% effective. At least the flock of 500 are not roosting on my fence anymore just waiting for me to turn my back before darting in mass at the cage!
I'm buying 'natural' pellets from Tempe feed which are a smaller size since none of the girls will eat the larger laying pellets. They like the natural but seem to peck out a bunch just while they are eating. I'm working at the garden too so I'll treat them with a handful of scratch and some greens once or twice a day.
We recently caught a roof rat in the pomegranite tree a few nights ago. It was definately a juvenile. I am 'mostly' certain that the rats are not eating the chicken food as I know I'd see evidence or holes in the bird netting.......wouldn't I?