Do I HAVE to feed layer mash?

[Hatrick]

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.

What do you do in the winter when there's no access to pasture?

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,

I do feed my goats...lol. They get hay once a day in the morning because we're still getting our pasture rotation down to a fine art. We had big plans for our fence but our finances disagreed. Besides the hay they're out on the field all day and we try to give them mineral and salt but they're constantly dumping it so we're figuring that out too.
We have Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds and Sussex hens and we expect them to be chickens and do what chickens do, that's all. We're not concerned about production to the point that we would be trying to increase egg production beyond normal levels.