Should I always leave food available for the chickens?

-- Steve Hill (ukph@edsamail.com.ph), April 26, 2001

Answers

Response to Feeding Q

Yes

-- Grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), April 26, 2001.

Response to Feeding Q

Yes... Unless you have cornish cross chicks. When young, they should have food removed at night otherwise they will grow too quickly and some will develop leg problems. Cornish cross are gluttons and will eat all day.

-- Michael Nuckols (nuckolsm@wildak.net), April 26, 2001.

Response to Feeding Q

I feed my laying hens in the AM and then watch to see how soon they clean it up increasing the amount of feed until they have food throughout the day but by dusk the feeders are empty. The reason for this is I feel it cuts down on the number of mice and rats I have on the farm if I can keep feeders empty at night. I had a real infestation of rats a couple years ago and keeping the food unavailable helped to eliminate the problem. The chicken coop is a very old building and I can't keep mice and rats out of it.

When I raise chickens for butcher I do keep food in the feeders day and night (except for the cornish cross) and the brooder house is pretty much rat proof.

-- Betsy K (betsyk@pathwaynet.com), April 26, 2001.

Response to Feeding Q

If the hens are cooped up than yes I keep food (laying pellets) in front of them all the time. Normally though I let the hens out of the coop in the morning after chores when I am collecting their eggs. Since they spend all day and until dark out eating bugs and cleaning up grain in the goat feeders, I feed them very little. If I have lots of house leftovers for them, including milk I don't feed them anything. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 26, 2001.

I free feed. I have done this with every critter I've had, house pet or livestock. They're more content and easier to work with. I don't handle my chicks or chickens, yet I've never had roosters (I have quite a few) attack me or anyone else. My birds free range during the day and wander in and out of the pens for their feed/water. Free freeding eliminates a lot of problems.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), April 27, 2001.

rogo if you don't have rosters how do you fertilize your eggs.I know what you mean I have one and he is always attacking someone. we have to carry a stick around to beat hem off.

Lisa

-- Lisa Miller (ljmill35@aol.com), May 28, 2001.

also rogo are Ameraucanas good seaters .

Lisa

-- Lisa Miller (ljmill35@aol.com), May 28, 2001.

== rogo if you don't have rosters how do you fertilize your eggs.I know what you mean I have one and he is always attacking someone. we have to carry a stick around to beat hem off. ==

Read my post again; I have quite a few roos and they've never been a problem:

= I free feed. I have done this with every critter I've had, house pet or livestock. They're more content and easier to work with. I don't handle my chicks or chickens, yet I've never had roosters (I have quite a few) attack me or anyone else. My birds free range during the day and wander in and out of the pens for their feed/water. Free freeding eliminates a lot of problems. =

== also rogo are Ameraucanas good seaters. ==

I haven't had any of this breed, so I can't answer you!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), May 29, 2001.

Lisa: We have had one Aneraucana hen that has gone broody twice and another one setting now. They tend to go off and hide their nests more than our other breeds but they have successfully hatched out eggs. They aren't exceptional mothers but will give it a try. Ours lost 4 of her 5 chicks before we took the last one away but we have a lot of barn cats around.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@linkup.net), May 29, 2001.