When the weather is nice, free-range chickens love to forage. But in the winter or when they can’t be outside, your flock needs access to healthy, high-quality food. Since feed costs are a substantial portion of the expenses when keeping chickens, it’s important to be sure you’re providing adequate nutrition without allowing feed to go to waste.
Chickens need to eat frequently throughout the day to stay healthy and happy. But exactly how often you need to feed your flock depends on a variety of factors. In this article, we’ll go over how a chicken’s digestive system works, signs that your birds aren’t getting enough food and how often you should be feeding your flock.
How A Chicken’s Digestive System Works
Chickens have a digestive system that is uniquely suited to eating small meals throughout the day Here’s a quick overview of how it works
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Crop: Food is stored and initial digestion begins in the crop. Chickens can store up quite a bit of food here.
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Proventriculus: This is a glandular part of the stomach that releases digestive juices.
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Gizzard: The gizzard is made up of strong muscles that grind up food, often with the help of small rocks and gravel the chicken has eaten (known as grit).
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Intestines: Final absorption of nutrients occurs here.
Chickens are programmed to eat smaller amounts more often because their crops can only hold so much food at a time. Also, their intestines and gizzard aren’t very big, so they can only efficiently break down small amounts.
If a chicken eats too much in one or two big meals, it could get crop impaction and other digestive problems. Feeding smaller portions often matches their natural digestion rhythm.
Signs Your Chickens Aren’t Getting Enough Food
If you aren’t feeding your chickens frequently enough, you may notice some of the following signs:
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Increased aggression and pecking. Chickens will peck each other out of hunger frustration.
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Loss of weight. Chickens will start dropping weight if they aren’t getting enough calories.
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Decline in egg production. Laying eggs takes a lot of energy, so starving chickens will lay less.
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Eating their own eggs. Hunger can cause hens to crack open and eat their eggs.
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Loss of energy, lethargy. Your birds will seem weak and tired.
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Eating non-food items. Chickens may try to fill up on dirt, feathers, or wood.
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Paleness in combs and wattles. Lack of nutrition causes paler combs.
If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to take a look at their diet and feeding schedule. Often simply increasing the frequency and amount of food can turn things around rather quickly.
How Often Should You Feed Chickens?
Most chicken experts recommend feeding your flock at least 2 times per day, either morning and night or morning and afternoon. This gives them several opportunities to fill their crop.
A lot of people choose to leave food in a gravity feeder all the time so chickens can eat whenever they want. This matches their natural tendency to eat many small meals.
Here are some general guidelines on how often to feed based on your situation:
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At least twice a day, chickens in a coop run. If your chickens can’t get to forage, you need to give them all the food they need.
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Free-range chickens: At least 1-2 times per day. They will also be able to forage for seeds, insects, and greens.
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Meat chickens: Feed free-choice with access at all times to prevent weight loss.
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Chicks: Small frequent meals 4 or more times daily for the first 4-6 weeks. Then transition to the layer schedule.
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Layers: At least 2 times daily. Keep an eye on egg production. Increase frequency if eggs decline.
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Broody hens: Feed individually 2-3 times daily so they will leave the nest to eat and drink.
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Chickens in hot weather: Increase feeding frequency as chickens will eat less at one time.
The following sections go into more detail on feeding frequency for chicks, layers, and broilers.
Feeding Chicks
Baby chicks have tiny crops and high metabolism, so they need very frequent feedings. Here are some guidelines:
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Week 1: Feed starter feed at least 4 times daily.
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Weeks 2-4: Feed mini-meals 3-4 times daily.
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Weeks 5-6: Slowly reduce to 2-3 daily feedings.
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After 6 weeks: Follow layer feeding schedule of 2x daily.
Leave feed available for chicks to nibble on in between meals. Scatter feeding encourages movement. Just replenish small amounts frequently.
Watch for signs of hunger like shrill cheeping, lethargy, and crowding under the heat lamp. Increase frequency and amount if needed.
Once they are 6 weeks, switch to a layer ration. Pellets or crumbles both work well. Gradually transition over 5-7 days.
Feeding Layers
Once your pullets start laying at around 16-20 weeks, you’ll want to switch them to a complete layer feed.
The standard recommendation is to feed laying hens at least twice daily, such as morning and evening. This ensures they get plenty of nutrition to keep producing quality eggs.
Many people choose to leave layer feed available free-choice 24/7 in gravity feeders. This matches the hen’s natural tendency to nibble frequently throughout the day. Just check regularly that the feeder isn’t running low.
During the peak production period, which is generally the first year of lay, hens should be fed as much as they can eat. Don’t restrict feed.
After the first year when laying decreases seasonally, you may find your hens back off on their feed intake. This is normal as their metabolism settles. But continue providing feed free-choice so birds can eat according to their needs.
Increase feeding frequency to 3x daily any time you notice a drop in egg production that isn’t related to decreasing daylight (molting, age, stress). Ready access to feed maximizes the number of eggs produced.
Feeding Meat Chickens
Broilers and other meat birds have been bred for rapid weight gain. This means they need constant access to high-protein feed to reach slaughter weight quickly.
Leave feed available at all times in gravity feeders. This allows birds to eat free-choice whenever hunger strikes. Limiting feed will slow growth and lower profitability.
Also, broilers are prone to leg problems if they have to compete for limited food. Full access lets even less mobile birds eat without struggle.
Since fast-growing broilers have a nearly insatiable appetite, plan on replacing feeders with fresh feed multiple times per day. This prevents the feed from getting old, moldy, or depleted.
Monitor daily intake and watch for signs of decreased appetite like less active feeding or weight loss. Increase the calorie density of the ration if needed to get back on track.
Feeding Broody Hens
A broody hen can be so determined to set on her imagined nest of eggs that she will refuse to get up to eat or drink. This can quickly become dangerous.
If you have a broody girl, you’ll need to bring food and water to her 2-3 times per day. Feed her regular ration supplemented with additional protein sources like mealworms.
Entice her off the nest for 20-30 minutes if possible so she will eat, drink, and relieve herself. Otherwise, provide everything near the nesting box.
Weigh your hen weekly. Average weight loss while broody is 1/4 pound per week. If she loses weight rapidly, you may need to isolate her from the nest to ensure she is eating enough.
The Importance Of Free-Choice Feeding
As you can see from the guidelines above, giving chickens constant access to feed in gravity feeders is the most common recommendation across the board. Here’s why free-choice feeding works so well:
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It matches the natural feeding behavior of small frequent meals.
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Research shows it maximizes feed intake for improved growth and egg production.
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Dominant hens can’t easily keep others from the feed source.
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Timid and low-ranking hens can eat when bossy birds aren’t around.
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Feed stays fresh instead of going stale from long periods between feedings.
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There is less feed waste from spillage.
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Chickens are able to satisfy their hunger as needed.
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Growth and egg laying are optimized by always having nutrients available.
The key is using gravity-fed designs like tube or trough feeders that don’t limit access. Feed should be available 24 hours a day.
Set up enough feeder space so 3-4 birds can eat simultaneously. Make sure feeders are accessible even to lower mobility birds.
How Much To Feed Chickens
Another important feeding question is exactly how much food your chickens need. This, of course, depends on factors like breed, age, season, diet, and whether they have pasture access.
Here are some general guidelines on approximate daily feed intake:
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Chicks 0-6 weeks: 1/4 to 1/2 ounce per bird.
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Pullets 6-16 weeks: 1/4 to 1/2 pound per bird.
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Layers: 1/4 to 1/2 pound per bird.
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Meat birds: Up to 1 pound per bird at finish weight.
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Large breeds: Toward the higher end of the range.
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Extreme weather: Increase by 1/4 pound in hot or cold.
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Pasture-raised: Decrease by 1/4 pound from base amount.
The best way to fine-tune feed amounts is to start in the middle of the range then adjust according to performance.
For chicks and pullets, increase if birds seem hungry. For layers, increase if eggs decline. For broilers, increase if weight gain slows.
Monitor feeders and refill as needed to ensure unrestricted access. Leftover stale feed signals a need to reduce amounts.
Providing A Balanced Diet
Chicken feed comes in many forms, but hens need a balanced diet to thrive. Here are some diet tips:
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Base feed: Provide a complete feed like layers pellets or crumbles designed to meet nutritional needs.
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Protein: Meat bird and growing chick rations contain 20%+ protein. Adult layers need 16-18%.
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Calcium: Layers need 3-4% calcium from sources like limestone, oystershell, or bone meal.
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Treats: Up to 20% of the diet can include table scraps, grains, veggies, fruits.
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Grit: Provide insoluble granite grit to aid digestion.
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Clean water: Always provide clean, fresh water free of contaminants.
A quality prepared feed takes out the guesswork of proper nutrition. Supplement with favorite treats to add variety.
Provide oyster shell separately as free-choice so hens can balance their own calcium intake.
Pasture-raised birds will get many nutrients from greens, seeds, and insects in the field.
Common Feeding Mistakes To Avoid
To wrap things up, here are a few common chicken feeding mistakes to avoid:
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Not feeding chicks frequently enough.
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Restricting feed to try to reduce intake. This causes problems.
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Leaving feeders empty for long periods between fillings.
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Letting feed go moldy or stale from improper storage.
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Not increasing feed with increased egg production or growth.
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Making diet changes too abruptly instead of transitioning over days.
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Limiting calcium intake through oyster shell.
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Allowing stronger birds to hog feed while excluding timid eaters.
Follow the tips in this article to set up a daily feeding routine that keeps your flock happy and thriving!
How Often Should I Feed My Chickens?
Chickens need to go to roost with a full stomach to produce eggs. So how many times a day should you feed them?.
There are a number of ways to feed your chickens. A good method is to feed your chickens two to four times a day. Chickens prefer to eat lots of small meals throughout the day instead of one large one. People who have chickens in their yards or who have time to feed their birds at regular times during the day can use this feeding option.
Another method is giving your chickens access to an unlimited amount of food through feeders. This is best suited for chickens in confined spaces that don’t have access to yards to forage in. Chickens need access to a lot of nutrient-rich food to keep them healthy and give them everything they need to constantly lay eggs.
You can also give your chickens some nutritious, natural snacks now and then to supplement their feed and keep them entertained. Just be sure they don’t fill up on treats and neglect their layer feed!.
For the most part, chickens normally only eat what they have room for and won’t eat more than they need to.
Just because chickens won’t overeat doesn’t mean they can’t become obese. Treats like seeds, table scraps, and other non-feed-based foods should only constitute 10% of a chicken’s diet. Chickens often choose to eat their treats before the feed that has all the nutrients they need. Too many treats will fatten up your chickens, so try to spoil them in other ways.
How Much to Feed Chickens Each Day
Since every breed and every flock is different, it will take some time and observation to figure out your ideal amount of daily chicken feed. However, there is a simple figure to provide you with a solid starting point: 1/4 of a pound per fully grown chicken per day. This means each chicken will eat approximately 1. 5 pounds of feed in a week.
This amount will vary based on the age and size of your birds. The best way to determine your flock’s needs is by checking the feeders after they eat their fill. Just note whether any feed is left and adjust the amount up or down the next day. As a rule, it’s better to provide too much feed than too little, as the wasted product is preferable to undernourished chickens.
7 Surprising Rules for Feeding Chickens
FAQ
How many times a day should a chicken eat?
They would rather eat several times a day than just one, though, so you might want to feed them small amounts two to four times a day. If you’d rather not venture to the backyard coop for feeding times, you can also set up an unlimited feeder — or any vessel that can hold a lot of chicken feed at once.
Should you feed your chickens a day?
You do not want skinny, unhealthy chickens but you also do not want hefty hens either. They will give you lots of tasty eggs if you make sure they get enough of the nutrients they need. It is common for people to feed their chickens once a day.
How much do chickens eat in a month?
A flock of 6 chickens will eat a 50 lb. bag of feed in roughly one month. So, you’re spending about $15 to $20 a month on chicken feed for a flock of that size. The passage does not provide information on how many times a day chickens should be fed.
How much chicken feed should I Feed my hens?
But keep in mind that this is just a general rule. There is no hard and fast rule for how much to feed your layers because it depends on the breed, how active they are, and the time of year. Your hens might need a little less or a little more than 3/4 cup of chicken feed per day.
When should a chick eat chicken feed?
You’ll feed this to a young chick up to six weeks of age. Chick feed is higher in protein than other feeds. You will typically see it in the 20-24% range. It is often medicated to help the young chick stay healthy.
Do chickens eat a lot?
Unlike a dog, who empties its food bowl in a matter of minutes, chickens eat small portions all throughout the day. You do not want skinny, unhealthy chickens but you also do not want hefty hens either. If you make sure they get enough essential nutrients, they will make sure you get plenty of delicious eggs.
How much food should I feed my chickens per day?
How much do chickens eat? On average, a laying hen eats about ¼-pound of feed per day or 1.5 pounds of feed per week. If you’re buying a 50-pound bag of feed, it would feed your chicken for about 33 weeks.
Should chickens have food available all day?
How Much Feed Do My Chickens Need? Your chickens should have a constant supply of food throughout the day.
Is it okay to feed my chickens once a day?
But, how regularly do these birds need feeding, and more specifically, when? Let’s find out! Ideally, chickens should be fed continuously throughout the day, but at the very least once per day. Each adult chicken requires about 0.25lb (120 grams) of balanced and nutrient-rich poultry feed per day.
What is the 90/10 rule for chickens?
The “90/10 rule” for chickens refers to a feeding guideline that recommends 90% of a chicken’s daily diet should be a complete feed, while the remaining 10% can be treats.