How much feed should I give my chickens per day? - My pet chicken (2024)

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We recommend feeding "free choice"; that is, let them eat as much layer food as they want and always leave their food bowl outside (although you can take it out at night if you like). Even if your chickens have access to pasture, free-range chickens simply supplement their diet. Chickens eat as much food as they need to stay healthy.

Some breeds can barely survive free range in good weather (although this is unlikely as chickens are domesticated animals and not wild animals), but most will simply starve if you don't feed them enough.

Your flock needs access to grass, but also chicken feed.

They also become healthier and sleep better when their bodies are not burdened by malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies.

They will likely eat significantly less food in the spring and summer than in the fall and winter if they have access to range, but they will still need that basic food to stay on their feet. Especially in winter they need calories to stay warm and in autumn they need protein because they want to molt and renew their plumage. They usually lay their highest eggs in the spring and summer, so all those calories go into producing the eggs and keeping them in good condition while they produce.

One of the biggest mistakes a novice chicken keeper can make is not feeding their chickens enough feed, or only feeding them ground or corn feed instead of layer feed.

Crab/corn is a great treat, but it just isn't a balanced diet that provides everything your chickens need to maintain their health. Think of the basics as chips for chickens. Just as you wouldn't be healthy if you only ate potato chips, your chickens won't be healthy if they only ate crabs. Feel free to spoil them with it, but make sure you give them as much real layer food as they want, so that they get enough protein and nutrients every day to stay healthy.

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