Can they do good with just free ranging and snacks

[tcfoster]

I have 6 chickens and they are all bantams except one Cornish cross. The chicks were started on some kind of food that Pratt’s Pets suggested, well that ran out and ever since then for about the last 5 months they have just been free-ranging in the yard and we give them treats like watermelon and oatmeal. Is this enough for them to be happy and healthy? If not what would I need to get them!

Oh my god, you need to give them food ASAP!

 

[ackie]

Your grandfather was probably raising his chickens on a diversified farm where they had access to the feed that the other animals spilled and were picking undigested grain from horse and/or cattle manure.

Additionally, chickens from generations ago weren't nearly so productive as our chickens today. In this poultry book from 1921 they were recommending a feed and management system aimed at making chickens profitable by getting 100 eggs per year -- from LEGHORNS!

Today I get more than that from my Brahma, who is considered a relatively poor layer at about 4 eggs a week.

My chickens love horse feed. You havent seen scary until you've seen a mom take her day-old chicks to eat AT THE FEET OF A HORSE.

 

[Chickin Out]

I thought they would be good because we feed them plenty of fruit and veggies and we also bought them a seed block from Walmart

Fruit and vegetables alone are not going to do it. Chickens need protein and calcium. Laying hands most of all need these. Eggshells are made of calcium and eggs are made of protein. They can't make what they don't have. Without supplemental calcium, laying eggs will ruin their bones and they will most likely prolapse and die. Bird seed is okay as a treat, it is not meant to be their diet. They need commercial chicken feed unless you are making your own feed which is time consuming and you have to know a lot about nutrition. There's no practical reason to not just feed them their layer food.
You can still give them produce and vegetables, but it should be supplemental in addition to their layer feed.

 

[Chickin Out]

Ok thank you for the info! But what would be considered treats (fruits?), and what’s wrong with oatmeal I’ve been feeding it to them kinda often!

Chickens like oatmeal, but the problem with oatmeal is that it binds calcium. If the chickens can't uptake calcium, they will have a host of problems including problems with their bones, problems laying eggs which can lead to a deadly prolapse or internal laying, etc.

 

[CatMom2]

I have 6 chickens and they are all bantams except one Cornish cross. The chicks were started on some kind of food that Pratt’s Pets suggested, well that ran out and ever since then for about the last 5 months they have just been free-ranging in the yard and we give them treats like watermelon and oatmeal. Is this enough for them to be happy and healthy? If not what would I need to get them!

We have several different breeds and they all started laying between 4-5 months old. They get layer feed, scratch with meal worms and they free range. They don’t eat much feed but they are consistent layers. We throw them veggies and scraps as well. They are happy and healthy and some are now old ladies. We have an old Cochin that was a full grown adult when we got her 5 years ago. We think she is about 8 years old. She laid an egg when the young ones started laying but I think she’s done now.

 

[Vickischics]

I have 6 chickens and they are all bantams except one Cornish cross. The chicks were started on some kind of food that Pratt’s Pets suggested, well that ran out and ever since then for about the last 5 months they have just been free-ranging in the yard and we give them treats like watermelon and oatmeal. Is this enough for them to be happy and healthy? If not what would I need to get them!

Foraging for food or Free Ranging doesnt meet ALL of the balanced nutritional needs for growing chickens. The must have a balanced diet governed by poultry feed to produce healthy eggs and live a long time.
Free ranging/foraging is a treat and should not be their only diet. Providing treats such as seeds. Watermelon, fruits and veggies should not be more than 10% of their nutritional intake.
So, look at it this way. You have 10 dimes=$1.00.
If you had 9 dimes that would be the amount of chicken feed they need. That one extra dime that is needed to equal that $1.00 can be a treat.
See, thats not very much.
So, for your young girls to grow big and strong and lay great tasty eggs for you, you need more Poultry feed than treats.
I hope this explains the 10% treat to feed rule for a healthy flock.
Once you do this, you'll begin to gather eggs.
You need to feed a layer feed.
Tractor supply sells their brand called Dumors. They also sell Purina layer (layena) feed and they also carry Nutrenea layer feed. It doesn't matter if its crumbles or pellets.
Chewy online also sells layer feed if you want it delivered to your house.
Some Walmarts sells Layer feed too.
Good Luck.

 

[coledabomb]

?

 

[IBNeese]

You are the one with the oriental gamey looking CX. Now hearing your story and seeing the rest of your flock makes sense. They are quite malnourished and have been quite stunted by it.

Love them all. Thank you for taking the advice and getting them what they need. I'm glad you came here and signed up. Your birds will be too.

As a side note - If you get rid of one of those cockerels, you probably wouldn't need the hen saddles.

I agree!! One of the roosters needs to go, probably 2, if that is all the girls they have!
I had 2, got rid of one when the spurs came on and they started fighting. Kept one, he was ...doing... the girls, 5 of them, near to death in his daily rotations. I've never seen a young rooster with a diminishing sex drive out of the blue! Ever. So, Skillet got a new home, too. My 5 girls were happy, layed very well. I made sure the coop was closed at night, opened the next morning to prevent predators. I found a home for my small flock together when I became too busy with caregiving during my husband's cancer. I miss them a lot, but it seemed best.

 

[Onyxflock]

?

Please be patient with all of this INFORMATION - chicken people on this site really do care about other Chicken keepers.

Free range is healthy for your birds, you are right. Veggies and treats are also fine and won't hurt them - but may give them runny poops, digestion problems and make them not like the taste of the food that is good for them - just like people.

But the modern hen needs more nutrition than they can get by free ranging. 1 important thing is the calcium and protein that are in Chicken Feed.
The hens will lay eggs, regardless of the feed - if they can stay alive on what you are giving them.
What you won't see from the surface on your healthy hens is the lack of calcium & protein that will keep them from making hard shells - causing a serious problem when they do start laying.

A bag of feed for 25 pounds, is not expensive $20... and with free ranging, you won't use as much of it. Probably cheaper than your seed ball from Wal-Mart - which by the way has sugars and binders to make them stick together. Same diet as candy bars for people

 

[Onyxflock]

Uh oh. Our feral/free range bantam/jungle fowl flock have not had any poultry feed in thirty years that I know of. They are broadcast some whole kernel corn every day just to keep them from roaming off. Whole corn is large enough that they will find every morsel in the leaf liter and not leave any to attract vermin. I hear that corn is too fattening, but they are working to scratch things up out of the jungle most of the day and do not seem unhealthy at all. The only time they are handled is when they are culled or accidentally trapped while trying to cull others. They are not thin.

I see you are in Hawaii? Likely lots more free range fodder than a place like Arizona.