Feeding laying hens

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Feeding laying hens

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roiphil

Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 19
Location: now in southern ireland

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 10:48 pm Post subject: Feeding laying hens
Any advise on feeding laying hens, is it best to let them have food ad-lib (which i used to do last time i had chooks, but they seemed to eat an awful lot) or is it better to just give them enough have looked around for info and some sites say a hen will eat about 4oz a day. Just trying to work out costings etc to get a rough idea on the actual set up and running costs for when i get my chooks

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Jun 24, 05 5:36 am Post subject:

From: https://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Poultry_and_Livestock/Feeding_Chickens/

Treacodactyl wrote:

The amount to feed varies depending on the size, age and activity of the chicken. Some books suggest feeding enough that can be eaten in 10 minutes, however our hens will often look around for something they fancy before tucking in to their pellets. Our three hens, which are described as a large breed (Sussex), are provided with about 400g of pellets between them each day. Most days they eat them all, but on occasions they don't so any left over are thrown on the compost heap. So, a 20kg bag lasts them just under two months.

So as a rough guide our large breed hens get just under 5 oz of pellets each a day.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Fri Jun 24, 05 8:45 am Post subject:
Around the 100 g per day mark does seem to be about right. If they are truly free-ranging then a bit less as they will be eating all day. I just feed morning and evening - if they don't polish it off, then the sparrows do .

roiphil

Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 19
Location: now in southern ireland

Posted: Fri Jun 24, 05 11:13 am Post subject:
Thanks fro all replies, they will be free range ish, i plan to have a movable chicken shed and enclose and area for them around the shed with electric netting, its only a plan at the moment whether it will work remains to be seen

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