15 week old pullets eating less.

[jmneill1]

I have six 15 week old Red Sex Link pullets that I recently started letting "free range" if you will, in a 35' X 35' fenced area adjacent their sand run. The area is cleared, but under full tree cover, and covered in leaves. A small area of forest floor if you will.. My question and concern is this:
Until I started letting them out into the limited "free world" their food intake was around three full cups of starter / grower per day. It has since dropped to no more than a cup and a half a per day. Food and water are set out with them in the morning, and they have immediate access to both all day.
Should this be of concern? Are they really getting what they need digging around in the leaves, eating half the balanced diet they were on a week ago?
FWIW, they appear healthy and happy.
Thanks in advance for any advice or opinions.

 

[donrae]

If they're alert and active, they're fine.

I'm thinking they've hit a window between eating to grow and eating for egg production.

Also, they may be wasting less since they have more scratching time.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would not be concerned at all. They are getting a lot in those leaves, not only bits of vegetation but they are finding creepy crawlies. It sounds like great forage, especially when they first start. Right now they are finding a lot but as they pick through it they may find a little less, especially the creepy crawlies.

As Donrae said, they may be in a different stage of growth. Commercial egg laying operations often cut back on the protein level from about week 13 until they start laying. They are out of a rapid growth stage and are more maturing their internal organs and growing their skeleton to get ready to lay. They don’t need to eat as much to grow, they need to mature.

I think it is a combination of them having so much fun finding all those creepy crawlies and other good stuff to eat in that leaf litter plus the stage of their maturity that they just don’t need to eat as much of the commercial feed as they were. I think they are doing great. Wish mine had leaf litter like that.

 

[jmneill1]

^ Fantastic.

It had crossed my mind that maybe they may have hit a new phase in their growth, but I guess there's also more down in those leaves than I realized. (at least initially) I was getting worried they were filling up on dirt and twigs. lol Guess they know what they're doing. Thank you both for taking the time to reply!