How Much To Feed?

[CrazyChicken]

We've just got 4 ex-bat hens. They have porridge first thing and I do tend to give corn and meal worms as a treat when I get mobbed going into the garden
Then they have layers mash or pellets in the afternoon and the kids give them a few more treats when they get home from school.
They are free ranging all day.
Are they being over fed and if so what should they be getting?

You need to give them free access to mash/pellets in the morning (these contain protein and will facilitate laying), only feed treats in the afternoon (porridge/corn) as they fill up on those and they don't have much nutritional value. Meal worms are fine all day but a little expensive

Mine are like flipping toddlers and have rejected the healthy stuff (pellets) and just cluck cluck cluck until I give in and chuck a handful of corn on the grass. Honestly you would think they were starving. I keep popping the pellets in thier feeder and they do disappear so they are eating them. But the pester power of chickens was something I had never considered ;o)

Lol I know! This morning they left their porridge (didn't read this till now) and they left that to follow me back in doors couldn't shut the door with them all trying to get follow me in.
I'll change the porridge to the afternoon although so far I've not seen them turn their beaks up at anything lol

Yes, layers pellets always available here. Then corn and/or other fresh food and treats in the afternoon.

Layers in a feeder in the run, some bread/greens in the morning and free run over the veg patch, then corn/dried mealworms in the afternoon along with pecking around the lawn or digging the compost into the beds whilst gobbling the worms.

Cooked pasta a fav at the moment and dethawed raw peas.

wheat or corn or pasta and all the scarps that are ever left over from the kitchen. Throw in the odd cabbage or lettuce for them to play with,