How much do yours eat?

**OverWyreGrower** · 28-01-2009, 10:04 AM

Probably not very helpful, but with 13 birds, we get through approx 50kg of feed every 6 weeks....

Mind you, that's only in the winter, when there's not much foraging around. The chickens hardly ate any layers pellets over the summer, as there was much more tasty food around (grass, insects, more veg scraps etc)

**Birdie Wife** · 28-01-2009, 10:08 AM

I'm about the same as you OWG, same number of chickens - but three are bantams - but then I have three ducks too which eat the same thing. Aprox one 20kg bag every 3 weeks, and one bag of whole wheat every 2 - 3 months in scratch feed for cold evenings.

**OverWyreGrower** · 28-01-2009, 10:11 AM

Yep, our ducks are very greedy! With 6 large ducks, they can empty 1 of the feeders before lunchtime...

It's taken me a good few weeks to adjust the feed enough so the feeders are empty at night, but full enough during the day, IYSWIM...

**HayleyB** · 28-01-2009, 11:35 AM

With my lot I get through about 20kg a week of pellets or just over

**Birdie Wife** · 28-01-2009, 11:40 AM

A WEEK? How many have you got??

**HayleyB** · 28-01-2009, 12:01 PM

Actually I mean't just over a week probably about 10 days or so, up to today we had 24, but now we have 23

**shirlthegirl43** · 28-01-2009, 12:07 PM

Our 5 don't seem to eat much of the pellets - they are out free-ranging in the garden all day every day. I do worry that they look really thin when they get wet but how can I make them eat more pellets?

**Jardiniere** · 28-01-2009, 12:42 PM

Mine hate pellets and will only eat them if thats all that is left in the feeder....i am so impressed with you all working out how much they are eating - i just buy stuff - give it to them and go and buy more before it runs out ....no idea how much they are eating...am i a bad chicken mother or what?

**Nicos** · 28-01-2009, 01:02 PM

Originally posted by shirlthegirl43 View Post

Our 5 don't seem to eat much of the pellets - they are out free-ranging in the garden all day every day. I do worry that they look really thin when they get wet but how can I make them eat more pellets?

It's more healthy eating natural stuff isn't it??? Well -I'd have thought so....that's why I'm surprised how much mine are getting through.
Could be a rat I suppose- but maybe that's normal for such cold weather- and being locked up early and let out late????

**shirlthegirl43** · 28-01-2009, 01:08 PM

I just worry that the warrens seem so skinny when they are wet - there is nothing to them at all!

**lynda66** · 28-01-2009, 01:09 PM

about 4 kg a week (though thats 2kg pellets and other stuff)

**Nicos** · 28-01-2009, 01:14 PM

Lynda- if I do finally have chicks

- and there is only one or two.....is it really worth me buying chick crumbs, or can I grind down the layers pellets?
Seems a waste if they're not going to get through it all - esp as they'll be free ranging with mum..
...what age to they go on from chick crumbs????

**lynda66** · 28-01-2009, 01:41 PM

i bought a couple of kilos of chick crumbs, they have higher protein, and easy for little tummies to digest, then when they finished them i put them on grown up food but add cat biscuits,blenderised veggies and home made bread to make them go further, (as they get bigger you can leave the lumps bigger, but when babies liquidise it) and the cat biccies add the extra protein ...... they also mostly have their food wet, as they aren't keen on the pellets dry. though will pick at them if theres nothing else lol

they should go from chick crumbs to growers pellets at 8 weeks, then layers at about 18, but the extra protein won't do the others any harm either, as they use a lot laying eggs. they started eating slugs and stuff at about 4 weeks old.

**Birdie Wife** · 28-01-2009, 03:18 PM

Hey Nicos,

Minced up hard-boiled eggs are a traditional way of feeding chicks - I fed mine pure minced eggs for the first couple of weeks and then gradually started to mix in ground layers pellets until by 4-6 weeks they were on the same food as the other chickens. I bought a parmesan grater and found it gave a really good nibbed texture like chick crumb, although I still mixed in a bit of minced egg for extra protein as layers pellets don't have as much protein in them as growers pellets. Having said all that - it would have been easier to buy chick crumb. It's got anti-cocci thingy in it too, although if you're hatching under a broody you should never need the extra protection. I found I could only get chick crumb in 20kg bags - and if you don't use it within 3 months the nutrient levels take a dive, ie it goes off, and I thought my little brood probably wouldn't manage all that in 3 months, hence, plan B!

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