[Caramelle]

Novice here, if you couldn't tell ;-)

Our chooks haven't arrived yet, but I've got two books which have been great except for this particular question. So what do you guys do?

Feed at set times per day?

Food out at all times?

Scatter food out on ground?

Feeder?

Can't wait to hear what you guys do!
If of any relevance - we're getting a couple of lovely ex-batts!!

[joyfull]

chickens are grazers so they should have layers pellets in a feeder available at all  time during the day and water. They do not need anything over night.

[rachelr]

ditto

[Honeysuckle]

Hi there and welcome  

Feed and water should be available all day but no needed overnight.   Use feeders either with a raincap or place in a sheltered area in case it rains.  Personally. I wouldn't scatter food as this will attract mice/rats etc  

Happy chicken keeping!  

[Caramelle]

Thanks so much for your help guys! Funny the things you wonder about I suppose! :-)

[orchardlady]

My hens free range but have layers pellets in a feeder which is kept undercover to stop rain making them soggy and them going sour. This is available all day but I only put enough out so there is only a small amount left at the end of the day. In the late afternoon I scatter widely mixed corn. If you are getting ex battery hens it might be wise to find out what food your girls have been used to and start them on that and then slowly, slowly change over to layers pellets by mixing a little amount of layers pellets into their usual food and slowly increasing the quantity of layers pellets until they are totally on to them. Once you have done that over maybe a week and a half then introduce a small quantity of mixed corn or corn as a late afternoon treat. About a good handful for each bird.

Best of luck you will enjoy hen keeping.

Orchardlady

[ManicMum]

For 8 chickens, I have 2 feeders with HUGE rainhats on and I keep them under-filled so I top up each day.  I also scatter a few pellets in the morning as they find that much more interesting than the feeders.

Then a handful of mixed corn "after school".

Veg peelings and weeds get thrown in the run when they become available, through the day, as it helps to keep the girls busy.  It's a real motivation to pull up the odd weed as you wander up the garden when you know it will be appreciated and turned into yellow yolks.

The family were most amused as I came back from a country dog walk with a bag for the bin, a bag of weeds for the chickens and a bag of elderflowers to make cordial for the humans: all requirements met!

[brick22]

I leave a feeder for water and one with pellets in the run all day under cover,  which I take in at night. I also make up a scatter mix for them which I throw around the garden during the day. As they are in the garden for most the day they also eat the grass, weeds, insects and worms. They seem to be really happy & nothing makes me smile more when I come out with their handfull of mix and they run down the garden to see what delights they have for the day.

[GrannieAnnie]

Ditto!  But most of our feeders are inside, despite the fact that some people say about rats trying to get in for the food, but our rats try to chew their way in food or no food!

The coops are big enough to take the feeders, then I don't have to worry when it rains!

The only 2 lots of chooks that have their feed outside, one has a rainhat on and the other gets put under a big table when it rains.

[Springlands]

We use a treadle feeder because the local wild birds were eating most of the hens food - this also had the advantage of being rain and rat proof.

[GrannieAnnie]

I've often seen those treadle feeders Springlands, how many chickens is one feeder suitable for?

[Springlands]

I've often seen those treadle feeders Springlands, how many chickens is one feeder suitable for?

The suppliers said up to about eight so they probably would not work for someone who has lots of hens. We have five hens at present and it seems to work well. It also keeps the wild birds from eating the hens feed as they are not heavy enough to work the treadle - although the robins do come along and eat the scraps that fall from the feeder.

[Raven81]

I'll probably be told I'm doing it all wrong but my girls seem happy! I put layers pellets in a feeder in the coop in the morning, during the day I may give them a few mealworms or corn sprinkled on the run floor with grit and around 6pm they have veg peelings in a bowl in the run! I do not take the feeder up at night at the moment, but I'm new to this, so I may if I need to in future, but I don't put too much in the feeder! My cats are true hunters so we are unlikely to get a rodent problem.

[GrannieAnnie]

I've often seen those treadle feeders Springlands, how many chickens is one feeder suitable for?

The suppliers said up to about eight so they probably would not work for someone who has lots of hens. We have five hens at present and it seems to work well. It also keeps the wild birds from eating the hens feed as they are not heavy enough to work the treadle - although the robins do come along and eat the scraps that fall from the feeder.

I won't get one for the house that has 100 in then!   

[Springlands]