Hi Josh, wonderful that you're offering a home to these 'old' girls
. Can you free range them? And what will you do in the winter when English bugs have all but disappeared? Do you have compost piles - that could continue to supply you with some insects. Or have access to manure for some maggot 'farming'?
Fermenting their feed will increase the available protein and give many other benefits too.
If you can grow duckweed it's high in protein and nice healthy greens also.
Raising mealworms or maggots would provide good quality animal protein and still be part of the chickens' natural diet. If you could do it.
My feed lists fish meal as the animal protein, but soy seems to offer more in the way of amino acids.
Do you know what the hens were fed? It might take some time to adjust their diet, and depending on the factory they were in, they might be needing some extra probiotics or dietary support.
Can you get organic / non gmo feed for them? Working with big ag is working with big ag whether it's meat or grains.
I live on a farm but have to keep my birds in an enclosed run, so apart from any unhappy insect that flies in, I'm providing the food. I want them to eat as well as they can. I still buy commercial feed which I ferment, I grow duckweed and azolla for them plus veggies and I raise soldier flies. I can't buy organic or non gmo feed but am trying to source local corn and soy, and growing my own. The main issue I find is the phyto nutrients, the anti nutrients natural in most grains and seeds. Sprouting seems an option, fermenting too.
So my very long winded response to you (apologies) is to ask you to think about where you can get your best nutrition- ideally without
over the counter supplements. Chickens are monogastric omnivores. As are humans (depending).
Eating their eggs sounds good, also grind the shells and offer as a calcium source. Yoghurt would offer calcium, fat, protein and probiotics - though all can be found elsewhere if dairy doesn't work for you.
I think if you are prepared for the responsibility of caring for these creatures you'll find a creative solution that will be a great learning experience too. Free ranging as long as you can would help enormously.
Good luck! Would love to hear what you discover
Ancel
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