Letting chickens forage ONLY?

[Chris09]

It is exactly lined out how they did there small pilot study, which might not be totally perfect (but seems to average over 14 flocks), though only the industry has the money to make most studies! As it seems you haven't taken the time to read the article at all, I put the most important findings together:

These amazing results come from 14 flocks around the country that range freely on pasture or are housed in moveable pens that are rotated frequently to maximize access to fresh pasture and protect the birds from predators. We had six eggs from each of the 14 pastured flocks tested by an accredited laboratory in Portland, Ore. The chart at the end of this article shows the average nutrient content of the samples, compared with the official egg nutrient data from the USDA for “conventional” (i.e. from confined hens) eggs. The chart lists the individual results from each flock.
The 2007 results are similar to those from 2005, when we tested eggs from four flocks all managed as truly free range


If you’ve ever been around chickens, you know that whoever wrote that hasn’t. Chickens will spend almost their entire day ranging around a property scratching and searching for food. Even as tiny chicks, they are naturally curious and will begin eating grass and pecking curiously at any insects or even specks on the walls of their brooder box. “Scampering across a field,” looking for food, is precisely their natural way of life.

It's not exactly lined out, there leaving out key factors.
The main factors are the type of feed/ supplements that was used on test subjects, how long the test took place and type of pasture..

Just a note here.. I'm not disagreeing that home grown eggs can be better than store bought eggs. I am stating there leaving out key factors, and there study could have been nothing more than cherry picking 86 eggs from 14 flocks that were fed a above average feed and or supplements to boost the numbers they were looking for to make there story.

 

[DJM1]

My goal this year is to plant forage crops etc for my flock so I do not have to purchase anything from the feed store for them. I also plan on raising worms to supplement their protein in the winter months and also growing some sprouted fodder and grasses for them. I heard meal worms are easy to raise for chickens but they give me the willies! My girls and their "Boss Rooster" come and go as they please during the warmer months but once snow comes they want no part of walking around in it! Sissys!! I keep feed in their coop for if they need it. Most of the times it is their last choice for sustenance. I have had chickens for 10 years or better now and have only had 3 die of unnatural causes. One was poisoned by my well meaning husband who threw salt in front of the coop, one got too close to the Beagle/Jack Russell mix who looooved chickens (for dinner) and one just was MIA. I will try to keep everyone posted on how this works for me with eggs and meat birds. I welcome any insight as well.

 

[dickhuhn]

Good points! Though the main question is always "qui buono" (who profits)? Who has more to lose? The multi Billion chicken/egg industry or motherearthnews .com, a magazine that covers many topics, in their 2005 egg check they write "Test", that is a bit away from a study!

Fom:

The Role of Trees and Pastures in Organic Agriculture
Joseph R. Heckman Plant Biology Department, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United State

4. Needed Research on Pasture-Raised Animals and Food

Pasture-raised animal foods are generally believed to be good sources of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2
(Rheaume-Bleue, 2012). Only a few studies, however, have measured vitamins D and K2 in meat, milk, and
eggs in association with type of production system. A study comparing pasture feeding to confinement layers
found that pasture enhanced vitamin A and E content in eggs (Karsten et al., 2010). However, they did not
measure vitamins D or K2.

Of course only a few studies, industry wouldn't like people to know how much better eggs can be? Of couse the double price for an egg with up to 6x the nutrition isn't really much and that is exactly why industry doesn't want people to know, it's all about the money...

 

[Corona~Barb]

When I get the chance (maybe next week), I want to read through this whole thread. My hens do free range throughout the day but also come back to the barn to eat crumbles now and then. I personally would not JUST give them what they can find/catch/eat on their own. I do love the flavor and consistency of their eggs, which we all know is so different from feed-only hens. My hens are older now and don't lay during the winter. I just bought eggs from a vendor at the farmers' market who sells pastured organic pork. His chickens are fed organic, non-gmo feed. I thought they had access to the outdoors but from the looks of the yolks, I seriously doubt it. The yolks are pale yellow and flavorless.

 

[Greg88]

I agree with your assessments as I have witnessed that myself.

While I don't have an Ag degree, I have a lot of 4H science under my belt as well as helping a daughter go through Vet Tech school (from which I picked up a lot as we used my flock for her studies), and of course my personal observations and rural upbringing.

Chickens will respond to their environment as conditioned. I note that my broody raised chicks have little problem integrating with the flock and transitioning to yard foraging while my artificially brooded chicks would rather stay in their box than venture outside....they are actually terrified by the "big outdoors" and not overly sure what to do with a bug the first time. I have to slowly transition them with pens until they are acclimated.

As noted before, my predominantly feed fed chickens prefer feed more than nice, wonderful, organic vegetables I can get for free from an organic grocer as his culls and toss. I stopped doing that as I kept throwing away a large portion of the bin as the chickens were so picky at what they would and wouldn't eat. The grocer noted that those who seem to make this really work have to feed only greens to young chicks before they develop a taste for grain feed. Since I only want to supplement greens and am not interested in replicating the wheel and having to carefully figure nutritional values for a balanced diet for my birds, as nutritional deficiency can cause a lot of harm in your bird, I find it easier to let the Ag science people behind the feed company do it for me. Years of testing have gone into those feed bags to provide optimal nutrition for poultry. And the feed companies are responsive to public concern. If I want to pay more, I can get organic, non-soy and non-GMO feed, but then my expenses rise further creating a bigger gap between what it takes to produce an egg and what I can sell an egg for, or how much I really want to spend for my own eggs.

On that thought, I'd also like to give a shout out to all those hard working poultry farmers out there who bring us Americans overall excellent food for very cheap prices. The public gets what it wants. The Ag community does not foist product upon them. People only want to pay about $1.50 to $2 for a dozen of commercially raised eggs whose nutrition value is well above sustenance level (and carefully marked on each egg carton per USDA standards). Most people don't want to pay/can't pay the $6 to $7 a dozen for organic, real pastured raised eggs with a bit more nutrition. (Those are the rates in my neighborhood). I'm sorry, but when I go to those nice, natural, whole food stores where I live (which I do have fun shopping at for some special items), I can't help but chuckle at all the newer BMW's, Lexis, and Audi's in the parking lot. Where I live, you have to go to a regular grocery store to see a better representation of all makes/models/years. If I really want to feel like 'home," I drive out to a rural Ag feed store to see those familiar beat up but still running Ford trucks.

I keep chickens as a hobby and sell a few eggs at $4 a dozen to offset feed costs. Note, that is offset feed costs. I would have to charge $6 a dozen or more to pay for my feed and supply costs with my little acreage as my chickens are predominantly fed by commercial grain feed, supplemented with yard foraging (which I make as rich as possible) and table scraps...and still provide me with darker yolks and thicker whites....which color I've found I can also manipulate by which brand of feed I give them. (Feed them Penny Royal, and you get green eggs with your ham.) But I find it hard to get anyone to pay more than $4 a dozen for farm fresh eggs. That seems to be the niche market price for me....and that tanks when the economy tanks. People are back to eating those commercial, cheap eggs again, and I've got eggs stockpiling in the fridge.

My vet tech daughter married a farmer who is an organic vegetable farmer in Tennessee. He grows absolutely gorgeous vegetables, and they have begun to raise chickens (starting with a small flock of hens I gave them...yup they pulled them behind an old Ford truck cross country from momma's coop to theirs) and increased each year with chicks and purchases. My son-in-law agrees with me that you have to have substantial foraging to be able to match (expense wise) the incredibly low prices people want to pay for eggs when you are a small holder. They have worked a system of tractor use wherein they pull the chicken tractor to different locations on the farm to both forage the birds and debug and fertilize the crops, being mindful of some plants the birds will also eat. Even so, they find it hard to be competitive in the egg market at their farmer's market stall. The chickens are still mostly for their own use and fertilizer for the farm.

So a number of sub-threads have been implied alongside the first question of whether 100% forage only would work, and the pressure to do that by certain perceptions of some customers. If you have large enough field, yes, maybe, in summer months...but you won't be doing that for real egg production as you would have a nightmare collecting eggs and most of us have a real threat of predators. (I constantly battle with hawks in my area and have to string hawk netting and wire to protect my birds). You also probably won't be producing the most optimum birds as they scrape for their living and therefore less egg output. I agree with another poster who said there is a difference between survival and optimum health.

So I think the real question is why would you want to 100% forage? Is it for the health and welfare of the chicken? Or for the perceived tastes of some customers who may not be basing their decisions on Ag science or nutritional truth but more from philosophical ideology?

I think the answer lies in what is evolving over time...."happy" birds seem to lay better and have fewer losses than "unhappy" birds which typically means those who have a pleasant amount of sunlight, safe forage, greenery, supplemented by well balanced, scientifically tested feed to produce optimum eggs and meat year round....but not necessarily at the cheapest price. This will always be offset by the customer who is looking for the optimum egg and the cheapest price.

My 2 cents.
LofMc

 

[Akrnaf2]

Birds by nature are grain eaters. I don't think they could be completely grain free. But they could be organically raised and free ranging. They'll find seeds, bugs, and worms. Given the opportunity they will eat the tassels off the weeds or wheat grains out of hay or straw, they'll even eat young grass shoots. 

Birds is a very divers class of animals!
There are birds that are strictly carnivores like eagles, owls, penguins and turns.
There are birds that are mainly herbivores, like finches or hummingbirds, (and in this group there is a sub-classification to grain eaters and so one)
But the majority of birds and chicken included ,are Omnivorous that eat bot plant and animal materials
So you cant say that birds are exclusively grain eater!

 

[dickhuhn]

[..]
you would have a nightmare collecting eggs and most of us have a real threat of predators. (I constantly battle with hawks in my area and have to string hawk netting and wire to protect my birds). You also probably won't be producing the most optimum birds as they scrape for their living and therefore less egg output. I agree with another poster who said there is a difference between survival and optimum health. [..]

Our girls forage all day, but they always return to their house to lay an egg. So no losses.

Not so much problems with hawks, chicken buzzards can be a treat, but it looks as most are driven away by crows, others by "our" snake eagle. Despite in winter times, he usually pops up shortly before leaving to his winter residence in Africa, as if he would just want to say goodbye, as well as "saying" hello in spring when he just returned. He also has a wife, but this is another story...

In addition the egg output is quite high. Only real downside, you have often problems eating something outside, as some of the ladies think anything must be for them and jump onto you to "steal"...;-) Also you need to close every door tight or some girls will just walk in the living room...

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Our girls forage all day, but they always return to their house to lay an egg. So no losses.

Not so much problems with hawks, chicken buzzards can be a treat, but it looks as most are driven away by crows, others by "our" snake eagle. Despite in winter times, he usually pops up shortly before leaving to his winter residence in Africa, as if he would just want to say goodbye, as well as "saying" hello in spring when he just returned. He also has a wife, but this is another story...

In addition the egg output is quite high. Only real downside, you have often problems eating something outside, as some of the ladies think anything must be for them and jump onto you to "steal"...;-) Also you need to close every door tight or some girls will just walk in the living room...

It sounds like your system is working very well for you (well, other than the occasional snatching the food out of your mouth).

And that is what makes chicken keeping something unique to all. You have to work within your environment and do what suits you best.

I do have a number of friends with large hen house coops and nothing but the woods or fields behind. Several have lost the entirety of their flock from a predator...some overnight...some picked off over several weeks. Several have trouble keeping the hens laying in the house and not in the fields. All have to supplement with some feed.

It is a system that still typically takes work to make work, and is not feasible for a number of people for many reasons, which was the original OP's question....how typically feasible is it.

But I am glad it works well for you and that you have shared your positive experience.

LofMc

 

[Shadow722]

Birds is a very divers class of animals!
There are birds that are strictly carnivores like eagles, owls, penguins and turns.
There are birds that are mainly herbivores, like finches or hummingbirds, (and in this group there is a sub-classification to grain eaters and so one)
But the majority of birds and chicken included ,are Omnivorous that eat bot plant and animal materials
So you cant say that birds are exclusively grain eater!

I've seen my chickens catch and eat frogs and mice.