First I'm sorry I'm not certain where this post belongs; Chicken behaviors, managing your flock, or feeding....??
The basic question is I am free ranging my 19 rescued chickens, we have 14 acres, but they wanted to go to the neighbors!
So I had read initially that they didn't need a whole lot of chicken feed if they had plenty of foraging, bugs, grass, etc. and with most of my property being horse fields or woods that they have in abundance! But I also read to keep them home to leave feed out free choice.
I have been doing this and they are staying home but the moment my dog gets sneaky and scarfs down their food off they go! To the neighbors, my back porch (no no place) or the road!
I couldn't keep them in their coop for any long period of time when I first brought them home (last weekend) because its not a coop but just 13 nesting boxes enclosed in plywood (we are building a new coop today). Which means I better get outside before DH fires me!
Thanks!
As I noted I'm doing free choice feed, today they completely emptied a 3lb feeder and probably a pound or so more in a feed pan, is that normal?????
The basic question is I am free ranging my 19 rescued chickens, we have 14 acres, but they wanted to go to the neighbors!
I couldn't keep them in their coop for any long period of time when I first brought them home (last weekend) because its not a coop but just 13 nesting boxes enclosed in plywood (we are building a new coop today). Which means I better get outside before DH fires me!
Thanks!
As I noted I'm doing free choice feed, today they completely emptied a 3lb feeder and probably a pound or so more in a feed pan, is that normal?????
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