I free range my chickens about 8 hours a day fall and winter,. I worry because when free ranging they eat so little of their feed. I keep a feeder hanging outside . It is a 7lb feeder I only keep about 2/1/2 lbs of feed in it and fill it maybe 2xs a week. I have 15 chickens. I give them 2 cups of scratch grain and use 4 slices of bread as a treat when they come back to the coop yard .
For bedding .. we get free wood chips from a local tree trimmer. My husband than runs them through his smaller chipper and we get a really nice bedding. I also buy bales of pine shavings from the farm store $5.00 a bale. I mix some with the bedding and put some in the nest box. I never use more than 3 bales a year. My coop stays dry and I can use a deep litter method in the cold months say Dec- March . I add dry chips every two weeks . In the summer I do not use as much bedding as they are out and about from 7am until the sun goes down. Just like the kids.
PS. I have very good egg production from my chickens. Even in the winter I get eggs.
For bedding .. we get free wood chips from a local tree trimmer. My husband than runs them through his smaller chipper and we get a really nice bedding. I also buy bales of pine shavings from the farm store $5.00 a bale. I mix some with the bedding and put some in the nest box. I never use more than 3 bales a year. My coop stays dry and I can use a deep litter method in the cold months say Dec- March . I add dry chips every two weeks . In the summer I do not use as much bedding as they are out and about from 7am until the sun goes down. Just like the kids.
PS. I have very good egg production from my chickens. Even in the winter I get eggs.
