^^^ a lot of truth to this. I free range. I don't (normally) treat - though I do throw kitchen scraps, my wife and I generate not more than a few egg shells and a few peels each day, sometimes a top or three. Against a flock size usually between 60 and 80 birds.... It ain't much.
and it would be impossible to track how many flax seeds they were eating now that mine are in bloom, how many blackberry now that they are in fruit, how many bugs of whatever sort. There's a lot of "trust" that by providing an appropriately varied pasture, nothing gets too far out of whack. Though I do routinely "verify".
and @My Very First 6 Chickens we get warm (I'm expecting 94 today) but not dry. Its almost 100% humidity outside right now. I'm NW FL, zone 8a. There's a lot of dispute on winter feeding, the science isn't real clear. Historically, people culled hard for winter and it was a lean time. If chickens were fed, it was likely whatever the local grain crop - as the only thing they might have in (relative) abundance. But mostly, they culled. HARD. So there were few chickens to feed.
Recently (from a historic perspective), that's changed. *SOME* of the science suggests that the biological processes chickens use to convert fat to energy generate LESS heat than converting high carb, less fatty food (like corn) to energy. and that, therefore, more corn should be fed in winter, with seeds or whatever to help put on "winter weight" in late summer thru early fall. I've even seen recommends to cut corn and add seeds as a means of HEAT management in hotter climates!!!! Others stick to historic practice, because its what they've always done. I have NO NONE ZIP ZERO NADA experience with chickens and cold - we don't get cold here - and am not convinced the science is in any way settled. At this point, I don't even know at what point its "cold enough" to be worth changing feeding practices.
Commercial birds aren't raised in conditions that cold. Putting them together in buildings ensures enough body heat that it never becomes a concern. and for that reason, there's no data.
Which is a long way of saying I've looked, I don't know, and I'm not certain that anyone does truly KNOW. There is certainly useful experience and anecdotes of what works (for them, in their conditions) I'd certainly give an ear to (their successful experience being clearly superior to my own), I don't believe anyone can claim "best" practice, honestly. My leanings are that the science is probably on to something, because the science is suggesting a feeding regimen which closely tracks the expected times of abundance for those feeds in nature - and creatures have adapted to those environments. Build fat and manage heat in the warmer months, burn reserves and keep warm in the cool.
