- Nov 10, 2013
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We've had our chickens for several weeks now and they just scratch around the yard all day. We also toss them kitchen scraps. Should I also buy them feed or oyster shells or anything at all? If so, what kind?
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Couldn't have said it better myself. My layer/turkey flock is free range, but I have feeders available with Purina Flock Raiser available for them in their coops, and oyster shell in bowls for the layers. Even after free ranging all day, they are still hungry and tuck into that stuff with vigor. I also offer a scoop full of scratch grains to the free rangers every day. It's not a complete feed, but it works well as a supplement and they enjoy eating it. Without the complete feed available, birds would probably survive, but take much longer to mature/gain weight and lay fewer eggs.It's a good idea to have a commercial feed available to the birds to fill in the gaps in what they can find. Depending on your area and environment, they may eat very little of the feed, or they may eat a bit. If you have all hens of laying age, a layer feed is okay to feed. If you have younger birds or roosters, I prefer to avoid the extra calcium in the layer feed and just give everyone an all-in-one type feed and oyster shell or egg shells on the side.
Your birds would probably live okay on just scraps and range, but production may be compromised. Today's birds that are bred for an egg a day for days on end have higher nutritional needs than Grandma's birds did.