Greedy chickens

[janzbro]

Hi, how much on average do your chickens eat in layers a week.

I have seen guides saying 1.5 pounds (680g) to 5 lbs (2kg) a week

mine are eating 18 to 20kg kg per week between 17 chickens and that doesn't include a large scoop of maize each evening and veg peelings/ grated carrots, every other day. so I suppose that's the upper end of ok.

[veggiechicken]

Any rats around?

[janzbro]

I have never seen any rats, just a few mice and voles

[veggiechicken]

Birds, squirrels............they all pinch food that's accessible.

[janzbro]

I did have a problem with a small flock of sparrows getting a free buffet when I was leaving the feeder out in the open but I built a lean to with scaffold netting across the doorway to stop them and has mostly worked but Im not there all the time.

How much do your girls eat ?

[veggiechicken]

I've no idea, sorry. Only have 3 hens and their food hangs inside a shed which is within a walk in cage so there are lots of obstacles before any predators can get to the food. I've seen robins in there though!
My neighbour loses a lot of his hen's food to something - probably rats.

[Scarlet]

I've got about 20, they don't eat 20kg a week. I really think you may have a rat problem. Are they wasting food? What feeders are you putting it in. Do you pick your feeder up at night?

[janzbro]

Hi, the feeders are the red/white plastic gravity type and these are left out overnight as I don't have time to take them in and put them out at dawn.

Never seen a rat even though we are in the sticks but the local farm cats and my dogs actively hunt any vermin.

I have seen the girls if they have ran out of food the previous night eat 3kg (1/2 a feeder) in 10mins in the morning, you can literally see the level of food falling before your eyes, maybe they are just greedy as they are looking a little plump.

I will post a pic tomorrow see what you think

[Lisasbolt]

We have a flock of birds that always fly away when we go out the front. Also 4 fat ass pigeons!!!

Try hanging the feed so nothing from below can get it, or put on a feed routine

[Lisasbolt]

Have you wormed them?

[Stan79]

Get one of these: NEW GALVANISED CHICKEN POULTRY DUCK TREADLE FEEDERS 8.5/15/25Kg HEAVY DUTY | eBay

[janzbro]

Hi lisa , yep I have wormed them,
Stan, I might put this on my Christmas list along with a new spade and fork

Nobody has actually stated how much their chickens eat in layers pellets, just one saying its not as much as 18kg, please give me a rough guesstimate as web figures vary enormously

PS I cant see how hanging the feeder helps, ok for mice but rats are big and long and on their hind legs can easily reach chicken head height and therefore the feeder.

[ESBkevin]

It's not unusual for the chucks to fatten up for winter (much are other animals do). This is often accompanied or followed by a slowing of egg laying. However you must be sure that only the chickens are eating your money. I don't think mine ever ate as much as you say but they were spoiled with lots of green vegetation and scraps to the point of shunning the pellets (opps)!

[janzbro]

I have been deliberately feeding them maize(corn) in the afternoon to try get a bit of fat on them for winter as they haven't been free ranging as much but I thought surely they shouldn't be eating this much.

[veggiechicken]

Nobody has actually stated how much their chickens eat in layers pellets, just one saying its not as much as 18kg, please give me a rough guesstimate as web figures vary enormously

PS I cant see how hanging the feeder helps, ok for mice but rats are big and long and on their hind legs can easily reach chicken head height and therefore the feeder.

I honestly have no idea but a sack lasts for weeks! Don't ask me how many!!
Why don't you try hanging the feeders and see if it makes a difference?