I agree pretty much with all above and have more to add since I used to take free ranging to the extreme. First birds were not confined in any manner and feed was not directly applied to chickens. Some flocks were associated with farms / barnyards / walks with livestock such cattle, hogs or horses. Some of the flocks were associated with livestock that were not fed grain or feed (latter sometimes with horses and beef cattle). Yet other flocks (usually only a hen, rooster and offspring) were associated with derelict barns or fence row with trees and scrub and not associated with livestock in any fashion. Whenever grain / feed was applied to livestock the chickens either consumed it directly (spillage, waste) or indirectly as particulates in feces. Chickens could also glean insect larvae and pupae from all types of feces. In all situations the chickens could make a living but such was not always conducive to the typical producer of backyard egg and meat production. Generally, productivity of a flock as a function of free-range situation was in decreasing order of grain-fed livestock, pastured livestock and finally free-range without livestock. In terms of ranging (distance travelled during coarse of day), the free-range without livestock moved around the most and the grain-fed the least. If flocks were made up of the OP's 20 or so birds, then in the free-range without livestock setting the birds would bust up into groups that were prone to roost well away from central location and if dogs needed for protection it became a situation such that extended flocks had to be able to fly often and well to avoid ground predators. This puts constraints on breed choice as only a few have the physical and mental attributes needed to enable such predator avoidance.
Even now I can effect ranging habits of my flocks by the type and amount of feed applied. My gamechickens can as always adapt with ease to variations in food supply but my American dominiques are prone to either not adjust ranging and forage area to death or they range beyond protective umbrella of dog where the doms limited escape abilites put them first on Mr. Fox's menu.
Even now I can effect ranging habits of my flocks by the type and amount of feed applied. My gamechickens can as always adapt with ease to variations in food supply but my American dominiques are prone to either not adjust ranging and forage area to death or they range beyond protective umbrella of dog where the doms limited escape abilites put them first on Mr. Fox's menu.
