How Much Should I Feed My Chickens?

“I’m feeding commercial feed to my flock of 9 hens and 1 rooster, they have a large penned area but have wiped out all the plants that were growing inside so they don’t have much in the way of forage. How much food should I be feeding them every day?” ~ Caroline MacGintry

Hi Caroline,

Thanks for the question.

Your breeds and the age of your birds will cause variations in the amount of feed required so I can’t give you a definitive amount.

The rule of thumb I would suggest you follow is to give enough feed, morning and evening, that the flock takes a full half hour to finish eating it.

However, if you have limited feeder space, take into account those at the bottom of the pecking order who may need a little extra time at the feeder because they have to wait to start eating.

I hope this helps.