How much does a chook eat?

[Newtothis]

Hi again

Another obvious question - but I've had all sort of advice from other friends and some books. The amount of a ration of layers pellets seems to go from 70g to 200g per day.
If I fill a feeder will the hens overeat or will they just take what they need?
My feeder is a 1kg one and we are going to have 4 hybrids.
Also how big a drinker should we get.
I intend to take the food in every night and refill daily so I could top up the water at the same time.
The other question is about grit.....do you feed it with the food? Somebody said to put some in the nest box, but wouldn't that make a mess?

[RichmondHens]

You should allow 1 kg a week per bird. Topping up your feeder daily should give them enough.

Whoever suggested putting grit in the nestbox? Sorry, that is ridiculous. I put the grit in a separate container within the run so the hens can take it when they need it, although some people just prefer to scatter it on the ground.

Personally I wouldn't bother with a fancy drinker. For four hens a black plastic feed bucket will suffice, they take 10 + litres of water and unless your hens are really messy and fill it full of dirt and poo, should only need cleaning and refilling a couple of times a week at most.

[Glutton4...]

I've found a useful alternative to buckets (had a Battie drown in one ), that I posted on here a while ago; B&Q sell wallpaper pasting troughs for about £3. They are almost the same as a trough planter, but they cost about £8! They don't hold as much as a bucket, but they are ideal for sitting along the side of the run, so you can just top up from the outside with a hosepipe, if you're not taking them out for a scrub. My Chicks have one, too, but that has large stones in it so they can't fall in and drown.

As for will they over-eat; they will on corn and treats, but generally, I find with pellets they seem to be quite sensible.

[Flummery]

Don't just top up the water - change it and wash out the bucket daily. I use a washing up bowl. Not too deep. They eat what they need of pellets but will gorge on treats so go steady with them, and only towards the day end.

[baldrick]

my personal opinion is 2 small feeders always full is better than one, same with water. It makes it more difficult for the nastybitches! As for how much they eat, you have to allow for the verminous sparrows in the day, and mice at night unless you take precautions. Mine also have a bean tin of layers mash mixed with water...and maybe an egg along with some greens if im feeling generous. I scatter pellets not corn. A bag of food still seems to last forever though.

[Newtothis]

Thanks for the help. I've got a couple of plant troughs from Wilkinsons for the water. They are about 75% the size of a wallpaper trough and cost me £2.89 each, so that's the water sorted.
I have also bought another small feeder so will have 2 in the run now......the sparrows will think it's thier birthday! They are stripping the leaves from my beetroot as I type!!
Mice may not be a problem as I will be taking the feeders in at night to discourage nocturnal visitors.

What is layers mash? Is it in bags like the pellets - we have only seen pellets in the shops here.
Feeding an egg seems a bit like - well cannabilism....but I guess that's chook life

[Flummery]

Mash is sort of ground up pellets. Battery hens are fed this - I suspect becasue it takes longer to eat and they have no other diversions. Most hen keepers, even with ex-batts, tend to use pellets. Cannibalism would be eating chicken! Eating egg is just eating the substance they grew up on.

[Glutton4...]

If you want to feed mash (I did with my first lot, as it was winter, and what they were used to, but I don't now), you can mash the pellets in warm water.

[Newtothis]

Eating egg is just eating the substance they grew up on.

I stand corrected

[OverWyreGrower]

Also, it will depend on whether they are on grass or not.... if they are free-ranging, or on grass/field/lawn etc, they will eat a bit less, as they are foraging more...

My Vorkwerks eat very little in the way of layers pellets, prefering to scratch around much more than some of the other breeds I have... in fact, the Barnevelders can often be found sleeping next to the feeders, just in case they are peckish!

[chris]

Those Vorkwerks look stunning OWG. Are the eggs smaller than "normal" size you'd buy in a shop? Only asking as you mentioned they were small white eggs.

In terms of how much mine eat, bog standard hybrids - a 6Kg feeder lasts mine a month, a little less in winter. I've read various books and sites - most are usually around the same - a figure that stuck in my head was 125g/medium size bird/day.. so pretty much ties in with RH + the others

I bought a 6Kg "no spill (or something)" feeder, so I could see how long it'd take them to eat it, then I'd know roughly how much they were eating, and therefore if I needed to be away I could make sure feed is available if no one is available to look after them for a couple of days.

[OverWyreGrower]

Those Vorkwerks look stunning OWG. Are the eggs smaller than "normal" size you'd buy in a shop? Only asking as you mentioned they were small white eggs.

Yep, the eggs are larger than bantam eggs, but smaller than my 'normal' hen eggs - they are about 45-50g, rather than 60g (which is what my hens lay).

They do get larger in the 2nd year - the birds I have aren't quite a year old yet.

[baldrick]

ive sort of stuck in use habit with the mash since my ex batt days.they raise hell if their mash is late. I mix any vitamins or whatever in it tho so it makes that easier. I always have pellets and grit ad lib plus greens daily. Oh and they are a bit partiall to meal worms and sproutede peas but they only get those from my hand if they come straight away when i shout. But!they are not spoilt!ahem!

[tlck9]

The small plastic olive tubs u get from the supermarkets are absolutely ideal for pellets. I have one main feeder and I use chick cups or these olive tubs held on with pegs with a mix of layers mash and pellets. I also use them for grit. Free and useful!

I use them as I have certain chucks that don't get much access to the food so I spread the feeders around so no one gets left out

[Newtothis]

The small plastic olive tubs u get from the supermarkets are absolutely ideal for pellets. I have one main feeder and I use chick cups or these olive tubs held on with pegs with a mix of layers mash and pellets. I also use them for grit. Free!

Great Idea tick9! I love free! I assume the pegs hold the tubs on the run wire?