Do you "free feed"?

[RonP]

Food and water available 24/7 in their coop.

They spend most of their time in the run, where they are constantly eating whatever they find interesting also.

 

[hitchiechicks]

We have feed and water available 24/7 as well as let them free range at least 2-3 hrs a day. Sometimes they free range all day if we are home. With so much free ranging they don't go through commercial feed fast. Which is nice on the pocket book plus if we ever couldn't get feed I know they'll be fine. I also do treats from time to time like scratch, oatmeal or mealworms. My chickens are spoiled rotten so it takes just the right kitchen scraps to get them interested, they do love strawberry tops. Overall they prefer the natural chicken diet.

 

[KuroKitsune]

my chickens and ducks have feed available to them 24/7 and none are to heavy or anything like that

 

[piratescove]

I put feed out once a day and they free range. A squirrel seems to love the feed too.

 

[coop-er]

OP here....ok so I will change my method from "dinner time" to "dinner time is all the time", they do have plenty of opportunity to free range and there is alot of goodies available to them around here (vegetation, bugs, fruit etc..) I guess the "I'm STARVING" thing is just drama with them!!! Thanks to all

 

[RonP]

Chickens are voracious eaters.

If they seem like they are starving, it's probably because they want to eat it before anyone else gets the chance to.

Very entertaining...

 

[katie5668]

I have always free fed. Mine have free range as well , I have never had one get so heavy they could not roost. But they work off a lot of their feed just chasing bugs..then chasing each other to see who gets to keep it!! If they would shut up & eat it instead of cackling away...Look What I Got!!!! but instead the entire flock is after them to share that tasty treat!

 

[Den in Penn]

Chasing the one with the tidbit is their way of entertaining themselves with a good game of catch me if you can. Lots of fun for us too.

 

[subhanalah]

What is considered best? Free feeding, by leaving your feeder full all of the time and the flock eats as they wish OR feeding at a specific time each day? I would like to free feed but do not want my birds to become too heavy to safely descend from their roosts. Opinions please...

I feed fermented feed, I leave it out all the time because I have a lot of little guys, and there's no telling what time everyone has time to get to the feed stations.

I've had a lot of questions lately when I post my favorite fermented feed guide on BYC.
http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

I don't want to hijack that thread, so I'm going to quote it here and answer what I can.


I fill the container a little less than half way, then Fill it past the water level a bit. Stir it through, it should be pretty hard to stir by the time you are finished.

That's when starting a new bucket. If you already have some fermented food, you add a scoop or two to the water and stir it up before adding the dry and incorporating that to a uniform consistency.

Others have said an adult chicken eats from 1/2-1 cup per day. It varies dependent on forage available as well as other things included in the diet, such as scraps.

If they don't have any left the next day, feed more this time. If they have a lot left over, feed less.

As with mixing it, determining how much to feed your flock is too dependent on too many variables for any one answer to be correct.

p.s. I stir daily when starting a new ferment, but not after the first time. If it has been pre treated with fermented media, I don't stir, but I go through it pretty quickly. I keep it covered slightly to keep humidity in. If the sides get food on them, it can cause mold from not being in contact with the ferment culture and drying out too much.

 

[katie5668]

fermented feed is a new subject for me. I have fed scraps & layer pellets or crumbles ..then scratch of course. My chickens have a large yard that they free range on ..plus the bugs they chase..that uses lots of energy

. Being of a lazy sort..I could look up all about fermented feeds..but just gonna post the question here..would rather talk to folks about what they do..then read about what someones opinion of what should be done.

So why fermented? Can it get too fermented & end up with drunk chickens?? that was sorta meant to be funny..but also sorta serious too..

My newest babies joined the flock this week, they still hang out on the edges as there is one ole hen that just is a brat & chases them. So far everyone seems to be accepting..but they have lots of room to get away from one another.

Appreciate any teaching or sharing of wisdom that follows this question of mine. ....