A medium feeding apparatus comprising: a feed roller that feeds a plurality of media; a separation roller that nips the media together with the feed roller to separate the media and that is rotated in a first rotation direction to feed the media to a downstream side in a feeding direction; a motor that applies driving torque to the separation roller in a second rotation direction that is opposite to the first rotation direction; a torque limiter that, when rotation torque applied to the separation roller in the first rotation direction exceeds a preset upper torque limit, causes the separation roller to rotate at idle in the first rotation direction, independently of the driving torque; a plurality of detectors that detect passage of the media, the detectors being disposed downstream of a nip position between the feed roller and the separation roller in the feeding direction; and a controller configured to control the motor, wherein during a feeding operation in which a first medium and a second medium are fed in this order, the controller is configured to switch between a drive period in which the motor is driven and a break period in which the motor is not driven, based on detection results of the plurality of detectors, the break period containing a timing (e-1) at which a rear edge of the first medium leaves the nip position; characterized in that the apparatus further comprises a first detector that detects the passage of the media, the first detector being disposed downstream of the nip position in the feeding direction; a transport roller that feeds the media to the downstream side, the transport roller being disposed downstream of the first detector in the feeding direction; and a second detector that detects the passage of the media, the second detector being disposed downstream of the transport roller in the feeding direction, wherein the plurality of detectors includes the first detector and the second detector, and the controller is configured to set the break period to a period containing a time interval between when the second detector detects passage of a front edge of the first medium and when the first detector detects passage of the rear edge of the first medium. a feed roller that feeds a plurality of media; a separation roller that nips the media together with the feed roller to separate the media and that is rotated in a first rotation direction to feed the media to a downstream side in a feeding direction; a motor that applies driving torque to the separation roller in a second rotation direction that is opposite to the first rotation direction; a torque limiter that, when rotation torque applied to the separation roller in the first rotation direction exceeds a preset upper torque limit, causes the separation roller to rotate at idle in the first rotation direction, independently of the driving torque; a plurality of detectors that detect passage of the media, the detectors being disposed downstream of a nip position between the feed roller and the separation roller in the feeding direction; and a controller configured to control the motor, wherein during a feeding operation in which a first medium and a second medium are fed in this order, the controller is configured to switch between a drive period in which the motor is driven and a break period in which the motor is not driven, based on detection results of the plurality of detectors, the break period containing a timing (e-1) at which a rear edge of the first medium leaves the nip position; characterized in that the apparatus further comprises a first detector that detects the passage of the media, the first detector being disposed downstream of the nip position in the feeding direction; a transport roller that feeds the media to the downstream side, the transport roller being disposed downstream of the first detector in the feeding direction; and a second detector that detects the passage of the media, the second detector being disposed downstream of the transport roller in the feeding direction, wherein the plurality of detectors includes the first detector and the second detector, and the controller is configured to set the break period to a period containing a time interval between when the second detector detects passage of a front edge of the first medium and when the first detector detects passage of the rear edge of the first medium.