Author Topic: How much to feed (Read 2630 times)

Rispain · « **on:** January 22, 2012, 10:11:16 pm »

We rescued over a hundred battery hens from a battery farm nr Penrith which was closing down due to the enhanced cages, they couldn't afford to update.

Anyway after selling some on to new homes we have currentely 46 which are now free range across the land all day, i don't really have a clue exactly how much layers pellets they should be on a day. Currentely they are having 3kg in morning, 1kg during the day and then 3kg at night. We do not have a hopper big enough to accommodate enough food for them and large enough so they can all eat without chaos, so we feed them in troughs where they can all comfortable eat at the same time and on the ground to allow the timid ones to get their share. Am I feeding enough and is it too much. One thing I have notices with battery hens they aren't like my posh traditional breeds who will eat then go away and come back again later to eat a bit more, these hens will just put their heads down and eat continualy. They always appear hungry rushing up as soon as anyone makes an appearence. Advice please.

HappyHippy · « **Reply #1 on:** January 23, 2012, 07:42:56 am »

I think that sounds about the right amount (though maybe some others will dissagree) I'm sure it's around 125g of food per chook per day, so just under 6 kilos would be about right.
The sticking their heads in and just keeping eating is probably 'learned' behaviour and as soon as they realise the food's not going anywhere they'll settle into refined ladies

The other thing to consider is the fact that they are free ranging - it'll be using more energy than they are used to so once they adapt to life on the outside it'll settle too (but that's just my theory & probably wrong

)
If they're not scratching around on the ground you could try sprinkling some of their food to encourage them to scratch and 'forrage' a bit

Good luck with them all

chrismahon · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2012, 01:02:44 pm »

Agree with Happyhippy, 100-150g per day or 5 -7 Kg for your flock, assuming they are all laying, otherwise it is half that. They will eat for the sake of it so you are probably better scattering it all rather than using feeders to keep them mobile. Otherwise they will get rather fat. They would have been on minimum rations in the cages because they are static and the air temperature is controlled.

Rispain · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2012, 03:25:24 pm »

Thanks chris, I am only getting around 17 eggs a day so not all are laying. I will scatter it, that is a good idea.

Pocagranja · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2012, 03:39:33 pm »

Does the weight of food depend upon the type? We get a powder feed here, layers pellets aren't available, guess they maybe be heavier than powder? We feed 100g per bird split between 2 feeds & always have some left. Our birds are completely free range & gets lots of greens as well.

jaykay · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2012, 08:10:16 pm »

I imagine they'll calm down when they realise they can eat what they want, when they want. Poor things will have had barely enough feed and lots of competition.

Scattering is good as Chris says, cos it gives them exercise and something interesting to do

My neighbours had ex-batts and in the end, fed like I do, ad lib and the ex-batts learned it would akways be there and they could go for a scratt about my sheep fields and midden and there would still be food for them when they came back

Incidentally,

for rescuing them and giving them a nice life

holz306 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 24, 2012, 03:47:36 pm »

i would try scattering mixed grain for them. My chooks are 100% free range, so they get fed in the morning when they're let out, and a bit at night and would spend allday iin the fields scratching about, but i like to throw them some grain in the afternoon and they will scratch around for it for ages (they also get scraps but that kinda causes chaos if they don't all manage to get a bit)