[mo-jo]

Hi, Just wanting to know how much layers pellets 4 chickens should eat.  I put out 2 bowls and I think the food in  them weighs about 2kg.  My chickens seem to be eating this every day.

Is this too much food?  Can chickens eat too much?

[grenhouse]

I feed mine a couple of handfuls per bird per day along with treats (bananas, veg etc). So I would guess around the 170g mark per bird? I should add that I do give them a bit more at night when I get home from work and if they scavenge it up quickly I add a bit more.

I would have thought (I will stand corrected) that 1kg of food per chicken is way more than they should be fed. What breed of chickens are they, obviously larger breeds will eat more than banties. Is it definately the chucks eating it?!

Steve

[richyrich7]

Way way too much
Your feed bag should have general guidelines how many grams/oz's per bird I think it averages out at 125g per bird, My 4 hens went through around 500g/1lb a day

Their probably chucking it everywhere, as a hens crop can only hold so much in one go. 

[mo-jo]

opps, did I say 2kg   I meant 2 lbs. 

The chickens I have are 2 speckledy and 2 bluebelles and I don't think anything else is eating the food.

So 2 lbs of pellets a day is still too much food.  Should I weigh out the correct amount and not top it up if they eat it all?

[joyfull]

just keep their feeder topped up, the hens will eat as little or as much as they need, depending on how much grass, plants etc and also how much you give them in the way of treats will vary in all peoples set ups. My girls and boys all free range and find alot of their own feed in the field near me but I still keep their feeders topped up just in case it is a wet day and they don't feel like wandering. Make sure though that rats aren't getting access to the feed and also wild birds can eat an awful lot.

[mo-jo]

Thanks Joyful.  I will be watching closely this weekend to see if anything else is eating the food.  I just wanted to make sure they couldn't eat too much.

I don't give them many treats but they do get to free range at weekends and most evenings when I get home but as the nights are drawing in they don't get long before its bedtime during the week.

[GrannieAnnie]

I found the wild birds were scoffing loads of food from our silkies.  4 silkies were getting through 3kgs of food per day until I found all the starlings, sparrows and pigeons perched on top of the house awaiting their turn!

[mo-jo]

I was watching this morning before coming to work and it would seem that I have little birds getting in and eating the feed.  I have bird netting over my run but the little ones can get through still.  I suppose theres no way of stopping them.

[Craig69]

My 3 girls get about 3/4 of a 1kg scoop per day of mash!
They clear it all up & don't waste a bit.
My 3 seem to eat & eat & eat if you give it too them.

[Aidy]

My 4 will eat around 4kg when worming in the seven day period, as this is the only food they get. I would say they would eat around 2-3kg a week when treats etc are added.

[Flowerpower136]

I did know approx weight of food per day per chicken, but can't remember now.  They need access to food all day, and I don't think it's possible for them to overeat. 

I do suspect you're feeding a few other crits as well as your chooks.  Birds and rodents probably.  Make sure you take the food hopper in every night and put it back out every morning, and that will stop nocturnal muchers.  Re birds, can only suggest stuff similar to allotments, CDs on strings, flappy things etc?  Mine run has roof, so not a prob for me.