# Starving chickens



## eqstrnathlete (Dec 9, 2012)

I have a question for everyone. I have about 20 hens. They free range from 7 am until 7 pm. I give them at night about 3 scoops of Layena pellets. (About 6 lbs) and they act as though they are starving to death! I go through 50lbs of feed per week. They also get a lot of table scraps. How much do you feed your chickens?


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

They act like that because its easy food. No work involved, no foraging, so they eat it fast and try to get the most. Eating more means less foraging after. I have about 38 birds in my flock I believe the cup I use to scoop with is 10 ounces so just over a cup. I toss about 5 cups worth out in the yard in the morning. My flock free ranges the rest of the day and they get kitchen scraps. A 50 pound bag last out 2 - 3 weeks depending if I treat them to extra feed. Sometime the kids and I will fill a couple cups and hand feed the flock just for fun.


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## eqstrnathlete (Dec 9, 2012)

Ok sounds like my girls need to work a little harder for their food! LOL!


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Chickens always act like they are starving...I've never seen a chicken yet that doesn't. I have 14 LF free ranged birds and they are currently getting 2 cups of fermented feed per evening. That feed is 16% laying mash 3:1 ratio with a lower percentage whole grain, steamed barley. 

I can't even imagine giving 6 lbs of feed to 20 hens...I don't know that I even gave that much to 54 meat birds who free ranged.


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## artsy1 (Dec 16, 2012)

feel their keel, breastbone area, if they are thin, then supplimenting feed is a good idea, yes they freerange, i have a flock that does that too, but as it gets colder their will be less food for them- so i do feed them more- we go through about 4 bags of feed a month for those 20


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## VickiGG (Dec 23, 2012)

Interesting. I have 2 brown shavers. Had to take one to the vet last weekend and she said she was underweight. They free range 12 hours a day and have free access to layer pellets. I also have just started feeding 1 cup of fermented feed throughout day when they come up to visit. Hoping that will help the nutrition uptake.


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## artsy1 (Dec 16, 2012)

VickiGG said:


> Interesting. I have 2 brown shavers. Had to take one to the vet last weekend and she said she was underweight. They free range 12 hours a day and have free access to layer pellets. I also have just started feeding 1 cup of fermented feed throughout day when they come up to visit. Hoping that will help the nutrition uptake.


both worms and mites can cause weight loss, so regular treatments should be done, there are other things that can cause weight loss. The fermented feed is wonderful for them- adding extra minerals and such for them. Mine love it. Nice that you have a vet to take them to.


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## VickiGG (Dec 23, 2012)

Thanks Artsy1. I will check the coop tonight for red mites.


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## artsy1 (Dec 16, 2012)

i check their vents pretty often, and if i'm not sure i'll bathe them, have found mites that way when i thought the bird was clear of them- i really hate those bugs!


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## VickiGG (Dec 23, 2012)

So what's the best way to bathe a chicken? Just in a plastic tub of warm water?


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

artsy1 said:


> both worms and mites can cause weight loss, so regular treatments should be done, there are other things that can cause weight loss. The fermented feed is wonderful for them- adding extra minerals and such for them. Mine love it. Nice that you have a vet to take them to.


i put a cat litter pan in my coop with DE in it
they dust themselves
i move the pan from coop to coop till all the birds have self dusted
then i remove it for about 6 months & start the process all over again.


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## VickiGG (Dec 23, 2012)

Is there any truth in an article I read recently that the DE dust is bad for them to inhale, as well as for us. The article said the dust from DE was as bad as asbestos.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

VickiGG said:


> Is there any truth in an article I read recently that the DE dust is bad for them to inhale, as well as for us. The article said the dust from DE was as bad as asbestos.


i only put the "dusting pan" in each coop for a week or 2 
then i move it to the next coop.
i have also used the old sock method to dust my flock

as far as it being bad for them i can't really say

i would like to add that back in the 50's my grandfarther worked at a place that had a huge surface planner. what did they plane?
sheets of asbestos to be used in large ovens
he said there was at least an inch of dust on the top of that planner & the old guy who ran it was well into his 60's
so my questions is why was the man still living if it was sooooo bad?
my grandfarther lived past his mid 80's so it didn't shorten his life.

i guess that there must be a lot of hype 
i can't say that i would want to inhail DE 24 hours a day for the rest of my life but i can't see that a little will harm me or my birds.

but that is just my gut feeling

piglett


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## artsy1 (Dec 16, 2012)

on bathing them, i just fill the tub with soapy water, either dawn soap or flea soap and at first they won't be sure, once they hit the warm suds they usually melt...LOL


On DE, i don't use it straight, but put some in their litter, nest boxes and dusting areas- so its not used full strength for them to dust in, haven't heard it is bad for them


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