Do I HAVE to feed layer mash?

[Hatrick]

After reading all about feeding grain to my goats and sheep and deciding that we weren't going to, I began to wonder...do I HAVE to feed a layer mash to my chickens?

We have nine birds and they blast through a $25.00 bag of organic mash in just over a week which I think is excessive so I just wondered, with three acres of land to rummage around on, would that alone be adequate?

Even if it's just through the summer?

What if I lock up the food all day and only offer mash when they go back into the barn in the evening?

 

[akovia]

Harvey Ussery suggests that, after a day wandering around the pasture you can feed layer in an amount that the chickens will clean up in half an hour. So, at least one "expert" says it's OK.

 

[dretd]

Limiting their access is logical unless you have a drought and there is no forage for them, so be careful on that.

I am not a fan of mash, myself. Once it gets scattered to the ground it is so fine that it is lost forever. I go through way less feed after switching to pellets from the crumbles. If they spill it on the ground (one always seems to rake the food off the top searching for the better identical stuff she thinks is hidden below

) they can pick up the lost pellet later. Now finding a pelleted organic feed may be harder so you will have to decide how important the organic label is to you.

 

[Jitamon]

In my experience, no. The chickens love it though.

 

[LizzieJ]

I feed my girls a ration of layers mash every day in a group feeder and supliment that with other grain and meal worms, they also have the garden to run around in grabbing worms as and when they like, it sounds like you need to ration the layers mash somewhat. kitchen scraps and vegetable peelings make great bulk up food too! I think giving them a variety of food with the layers mash is good for their digestive system.....................hope this is helpful?

 

[lizamae89]

We bought some Isa Browns 18 weeks ago and they started laying at 16 weeks. We were thrilled! We fed them grower until we got the 1st egg and then layer feed. Some friends of ours bought some chickens from the same batch a week later (from TSC) but theirs have not laid anything yet. I found out they are only range-fed with a few tablescraps. Is being range fed for a super layer breed enough for them to lay regularly. I'm concerned their chickens may be undernourished & that these people may not get the production they are hoping for. Anyone have some input here? Thanks!

 

[LizzieJ]

If they are only getting kitchen scraps they will be undernourished and delays in laying will be expected, chickens need growers or layers mash in my experience to give them the complex nutrients they need! please tell your friends to get their chickens some proper food kitchen scraps are fine as a treat but dont form the basis of a proper diet for the chickens!

 

[lizamae89]

Thanks so much for your input. I'll let them know.

 

[fowlsessed]

sorry to get off topic, but do you still feed your goats? and if you do, what? And about your question, yes you can do that, but it would also depend on the breed you have and what you expect from them.

thanks,

 

[sumi]

I don't feed my chickens layer mash or pellets. I give them cracked corn and some treats like kitchen scraps and they free range on a huge area with plenty greens and bugs and occasionally even fruit. They are healthy and they lay very well.