Needing more feed????

[Nicos]

My gals seem to be demanding more feed than normal.
As they free range , I'd have thought that the number of insects/seedheads would be more than ample
Anyway- they seem very determind at the moment to catch my eye for more food during the day
Could the hot weather mean there are fewer insects- or because the gals are hiding in the shade are therefore not catching as many insects as usual??
How is is with the rest of you free rangers??

[roitelet]

Could be the hot weather and less wild livestock around. Mine don't seem to need as much feed in the spring as they do now.

Perhaps one of the experts will be along with advice.

[frias]

TBH I never notice if my lot eat more or less as I just keep the hopper topped up but as the girls are up at 4.30am and the last straggler not in bed until 10pm I would think it's the long days. (In fact they might be up before 4.30am but that's the earliest I've been awake.) Mine don't free range all day as I like them in the run if I'm not about.

[OverWyreGrower]

I've been going through feed quite fast - I've put it down to the fact they are awake longer!

My birds are up and about at approx 5am, and aren't going to be until at least 9.30pm... and they seem to eat all the time they are awake!!

[RichmondHens]

Do they really "need" it or are they just being greedy? Mine have ad lib pellets all day and they still charge to the fence whenever I appear, expecting a treat. I haven't noticed mine eating more than usual, in fact I think mine eat less when its hot as they are less active (usually flopped out under a bush).

Also, if the feeders are emptying faster than usual, are you sure you don't have other critters helping themselves? We have had trouble with young rooks and pigeons raiding our feeders.

[Nicos]

Normally they have a handful of grain/pellets in the morning- and at bedtime- then forage for the rest of the day.
Normal balance is definatelly upset at the moment as we have 3 geese and 4 teenage Marans chicks fattening up for September I've been feeding these on the side extra away from 'the gals'
Maybe there just aren't enough insects/seeds for the growing chooks and my gals?
I have just bought a fence extension- so maybe that might solve the 'problem' if it is being a bit 'over grazed' by chooks and geese ( 50m electric fence...7 bantam gals, 2cockerels, 1 teenage Marans gal and 4 lads and 3 geese)

Nope- I don't think the gals are being esp greedy as they are laying well ...was just wondering if there were less insects because of the 'drought' really. There's plenty of grass and clover still to munch on.

[RichmondHens]

I haven't noticed a drop in insects here, but you may well have it hotter over in France.

I'm trying to do my maths - you have 17 birds of various types all together on one patch. How big is the total area? The geese will certainly graze it down, and the growers will need lots to eat. Can you not keep the birds you are fattening separate from the others or is that not practical? Making it bigger will help but it's better to have all birds with similar needs together. Then the layers will get their share and the fattening birds can be fed ad lib for optimum weight gain.

The other thing with fattening cocks is they will do better away from any hens after a certain point (3 or 4 months) as if their hormones get stimulated they will put all the energy into squabbling and chasing girls rather than sitting about getting heavy!

[Nicos]

17 birds...hmm...tis quite a few eh? ( I only started with 6!!)

At the moment the fence circumference is 60m around a pigsty where they all sleep locked away at night.

I can see what you mean about keeping the 'fatteners' seperate- but at the moment I've no choice of alternative fox-proof bedtime accommodation.

That's why I bought another 50m of electric fencing. Hopefully this time next year I'll have a second coop - shed or something.
I'm just very paranoid that there are 5 foxes in the back field, stray hunting dogs wandering around from time to time , and a badger set in the adjacent field.
...I'd like to think that we get to eat our eggs and chooks rather than something else getting in and seeing them off

( I even had a stray peacock wandering around the field today)

Will think hard about trying to feed them seperately as I already have to keep the geese away from the chooks growers pellets as it is.

I think part of the shock at the rate we're getting through the feed is that my bantam chooks hardly need extra food- and nor did their growing chicks- but these humongous Marans- and geese- clearly need the nosh to keep growing!!

Ah- tis a fun learning curve!
Thanks for the advice/thoughts peeps

[RichmondHens]

I can see your dilemma re the housing. Is there a way in which you can set up two enclosures so that when they are let out the laying birds go one way into their pen and the growers and geese into the other? If the growers and geese have some sort of shelter in their pen eg some corrugated tin or old door over a couple of bales of straw this would be all they need during the day to get out of the sun or rain. The layers could have access to their house as usual so they can go in to lay. Just a thought.

Growing chickens do need a lot of food, and yes you will notice a big difference between what a bantam eats and what a big growing cockerel eats - probably four times as much. Just think of how tasty they are going to be later though!

[lindyloo]

i think you should feed them more; the growers are using up energy in growing, and the hens need the extra as they are now well into the laying season. if the grass has all dried out, as it is here, i would say that the seed and grain from the grass and herbage is not enough the geese are pretty substantle birds, as are the marans, so the hens and bantams probably dont get much of a look in; a couple of handfuls day and night seems quite a small amount for that many birds- my 6 pekins go through a bag of layers pellets every ten days, and they are tiny; they also get scraps and corn.

[Nicos]

Hmm..I'll have to rattle me two brain cells a bit and see what I can come up with.
I've got a broody at the moment and want to put 4 more Marans eggs under her- as I only managed one female out of the last hatching of 5 Marans.
I am concerned that the Geese may accidentally trample the chicks when they start freeranging with their mom. ( gawd they're Soooo clumsy!!!)
8 weeks and the 'boys' will be gone- and 12 weeks and the geese will be gone...then back to a bit of normality.
I like the idea of the bales etc.
Hmmmm....

[Nicos]

LL- I've certainly had to up the feed- but it's MUCH more than I'd imagined

will give the non-layers even more- thanks

[jessmorris]

my 6 pekins go through a bag of layers pellets every ten days, and they are tiny; they also get scraps and corn.

My goodness! My four bantam layers and three bantam growers (13 weeks) take a month to get through a bag of pellets! Are you talking about big bags? (25kg?) they have pellets made into mash and a handful of grain when I get back from work. I'm not counting the 4 broodies as they ahrdly eat anything.

[Suechooks]

I've got 11 LF layers who take over 2 weeks to get through a 20Kg bag of layers. They only get a handful of corn in evenings and greens during the afternoon

[lindyloo]

jessmorris- yes a big 20k bag, and i dont think i am feeding anything else ( rats) at the moment!! mine just have layers pellets and any scraps, plus a bit of corn chucked in. i guess they are just greedy! ... nicos, i think my aunt used to give a feed- scoop full of grain to her freerange mixed lot in the mornings , nothing later on (a few geese and the rest chicken about a dozen birds in total, as i recall)