Do some people think free range = no food?

[GAchick]

I have 7 hens and 1 rooster, plus 4 babies that were hatched out in July. The grown chickens free range. I keep layer pellets in their feeder at all times, but when I fill the (smallish) feeder, it will have food in it for a week to 10 days, before it is almost empty. That being said, I would never depend on their free-ranging to supply all their needs. Food is available at all times. But, yeah, my bag of feed has lasted several weeks, now...

 

[booker81]

I free range more, and find that they don't hit the feeder up much at all - one gallon will last 2-3 days, and I have 14 chickens, 12 of which are hens, 10 of which are laying (2 molting).

If I don't keep feed in there, though, they will go insane when I fill it up, and act like little starving dinosaurs. They're silly

I keep the feed in their coop, and I don't have a rodent problem (yet, cross fingers). I just check it daily along with their water (they drink less too it seems, maybe because they are getting water from all the plants they eat?) I end up changing it before they drink it all, and it's only a one gallon waterer.

I do have larger feeders/waterers, but at this rate, it's silly and wasteful to use, if they don't even go through one gallon of each over three days.

I'll swap to the big ones when they eat/drink more come winter time.

 

[Keara]

I think like so many things it depends. If you live in an area where there is lots of forage than it might work. I have a bit over 20 chickens right now and I give free choice feed, but I am only needing to add about a pound or two of feed a day. But it is harvest season in vermont, every plant is in seed, bugs are hatching and laying eggs all over, and there is still lots of grass. Come winter I will be going through a lot more feed!

 

[teach1rusl]

I definitely think during the lush growing seasons chickens could get by fine with no "extra" feed. But even now, due to no rain in forever in THIS area, the grasses have dried up, and I see LOTS less crickets, grasshoppers, etc. around. But lets face it, many folks keep barn cats and don't feed them. I have a wonderful mouser (who IS fed). Also during the lush growing season, she brought some kind of critter to us almost every day, sometimes more than one a day. Now it's become pretty sporatic. In winter, it may be once a week or less that she's able to find a critter. So seasons, land quality, weather, etc. definitely plays a huge role on any animal being able to support itself well.

 

[mandelyn]

When I was able to free range mine all day, they got a morning and evening feed to draw them out of the coop, and to draw them back in the evening. I only do free choice food when they're cooped or when they had babies. The chicks don't always get their fair share, so I went out of the way to scatter feed every couple hours to the broodies and their chicks.

 

[Organics North]

Quote:
I can not answer your question, because I do not worm..... Don't you think they are just not fed/underfed? Why not skip the worming until you think they are not putting on weight from your feeding regime. Then go to worming... To me it sounds like they are just hungry.

Just a thought.

ON

 

[Judy]

Where I live, it is common practice to feed only a corn product such as cracked corn or scratch, and table scraps, and the chickens are free range, often are not even locked in a coop at night. When some of the old folks here say "chicken feed" they mean cracked corn. I believe my parents did the same thing, and they were Yankees, and this is the deep south. My parents got some eggs from them, but all were eaten or in the freezer by the onset of winter.

I have read of studies that showed that chickens will survive on free range and corn, but may not grow as large, and may not "thrive" or be really healthy. I would say the roos you got were on little if any real feed. Maybe they got a small ration of feed, then had to find their own.

I currently free range and offer feed, with dogs for protection. I mean really free range; I am in the country and they could go miles if they wished; there are high weeds and woods easily accessible. They eat less feed than when they are locked up, as expected. The other day I mistakenly let their feeders go empty for maybe half a day. They really packed in the food when I filled them.

BTW, somewhere on here is/was someone who worked out that it takes 87 sq ft per chicken to free range them and still have grass that they won't strip the land of.

 

[Chickenmaven]

Back to the OP's question: Do people think that free range = no food? I believe that some people do.

I heard a story about a woman that bought several chicks at the local mill. When prompted to purchase the feed for the chicks, she replied that she planned to free range them!?!

The owner told her she wouldn't be able to leave the store with the chicks until she sat down & got a session of Chicken 101 (including brooder instructions). Not alot of people would care enough to do that, but I am glad that my local mill owner did.

 

[churchx3]

Mine free range every day for several hours after I get home from work...I also keep layer pellets in the coop 24/7. They eat much less layer when they are free ranging. I also feed them fruit/Boss/Scratch when free ranging as well.

 

[math ace]

I food in their coop 24/7. Also, in the free range area, I have food. I have a friend who believes that if you feed them while they are free ranging then they won't eat the bugs and grasses in the free range area. This is simply not true!

My girls love the free range area. They eat grass seed and whatever else they can find. However, there is no protein in grass. There is some protein in grass seeds and more in bugs. However, they have to use more energy to find and chase these items down. So, in the end they aren't going to get fat off of free ranging. I supplement with the food so that I KNOW they are getting enough food, vitamins, protein etc.

My BIG task is figuring out how to feed the chickens without my overweight pot belly pigs getting into the food !