Breeding chickens for less eggs in order to free range better?

[Cazook]

As we know due to selecting for higher egg production we've got breeds that practically make an egg per day. If free ranging I'd wonder if it's even possible/healthy for them to get enough calories and protein for this to work. Would it be more sensible to choose a chicken breed that lays less eggs (100/yr? 200?) for free ranging? Or to make a hybrid from a high producer and a chicken which is a good forager? Or maybe even a bantam chicken?

Interested in this because one of the main anti-eco arguments against chickens is that you need to feed them processed pellets that were grown in monoculture farms, shipped in, pesticide use etc. Interested in more old-timey homestead ways to raise chickens. Thanks

 

[centrarchid]

When the forage quality and quantity is good, you can get some breeds to maintain good egg production without actual feed. Those same breeds are not as efficient at producing eggs from a given amount formulated feed as are commercial Leghorns.

My American Dominiques and a similar cross can produce just as many eggs when eating forage as they can on a formulated feed. The problem is it takes a lot of space where the chickens are hard to protect. Plus, if after larger numbers of eggs, the local landscape will not produce enough food for more than a few birds.