Does anyone JUST free range meat birds????

[jaku]

Quote:
In his book he actually gives his exact "recipe" for feed too!

 

[Huny]

I googled all night for farms that only pasture raise chickens, and from what I can tell chickens still need supplements of feed. I know it would be possible to raise and eat chickens that were pastured only, but it would be like the barn cats that only eat what they catch. You might have a lot die of starvation in the meantime of them finding a meal. Or lack the minerals and have more health problems. But I bet your feed bill would go down a TON!

I did find an article from Mother Earth News that was saying Geese can forge and go only on grass from April-Sept.

 

[dancingbear]

You have to feed them, unless you want really small, skinny meat birds. They can free range, but they still need feed.

My birds always free range. Big, open areas, field and woods. Like this.

The earlier I let them out, the less feed they consume that day, but they still need the feed.

They cannot get the full range of nutrients they need, nor the calories, from free ranging alone, unless you have huge amount of grains/seeds growing in your pasture. Meat birds need around 20-22% protein to start off well, then grower feed for the next few weeks, then finisher.

 

[zephyrcreek]

I have very good fields that were originally planted as horse pasture, clover/timothy/rye/brome and I do not believe it would be enough to support my meat birds. I have CX, colred range broilers from J&M, and Dixie Rainbows from S&G. The CX have been on pasture for 2 weeks but did not really start utilizing it until last week when I threw some of my colored range chicks in with them. When they started to see the range chicks feasting on the clover the CX finally got the idea and started going to town. At this point I am feeding in the evening in a chicken tractor and then opening the tractor during the day and letting them range as much as they want. They are sharing this pasture with my horses so there are plenty of bugs around.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

wow lots of great info on this...thanks! We have a large alfalfa field that is now growing grass and clover in it as well. The neighbor mows it down every now and then for us. I know we let our egg laying chickens out to free range early and they rarely touch the food until they go into roost for the night. Our egg yolks are VERY orange. We love that we are getting that from allowing them to free range. I think we will supply supplemental feed for them and let them decide if they want to eat it or not. I would like some meat on my meat birds too ;D OH BTW hubby did read The Omnivores Dilemma which is what started this whole topic LOL And it's why we are looking to get into beef cattle for our family as well. Amazing what they put into beef cattle and we eat that! Really want to stop putting that crap into our bodies and raise our own meat or buy locally from farmers who pasture raise their animals.

 

[Homesteading_Bound]

They Free Range from 8:30am-8:30pm We feed them flock Raiser. They get 4 cups am & pm with my 20 Barnies ( There are 7 Cornish X as I type).

This one knows where the feed is....and you know Cornish X...There always ready for dinner!!!!

There going on 14 weeks old...and still gaining weight.

Two of my Cornish X Free ranging with my Barnies (they were raised together with only a screen between them)

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Not even heritage breed chickens thrive on just pasture alone. You would need lots of bugs and lots of forage for them.

It would work for layers but not broilers and the amount of layers per acre would be more like 20-30 and they would need to be moved every 3-4 days or so to new pasture. Their patterns should mimic wild turkeys.... a flock of 30-40 turkeys range is huge.... I have seen the same flock roam 200-300 acres at a time.

 

[Mydnight]

One other thing that no one else seems to mention. Not just about nutrition, though if that is your only goal read Jo Robinson's stuff at www.eatwild.com (under essays, then get the book if you still need some more proof of nutrition stuff). But back to my point, if you strictly free range your flock, they won't have a reason to come TO you at night. Or they might have holed up somewhere where predators can get to them.