Does anyone NOT feed a layer mash to their chickens?

[meadowsong]

Growing up, we never feed our chickens. They free-ranged and would get table scraps. In the winter, they got some scratch grains and table scraps again. But no layer feed was ever bought. The hens were all healthy and produced eggs just fine. I have a friend who does this too, just gives them scratch every night to draw the chickens back into the coop. He has nice healthy chickens that give him eggs also.

Does anyone else do this? I wish I remembered more from when I was a kid lol!

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Yes, that's what I do, they only get chick starter when young, then just a little scratch. I usually have a small amount of scratch in a bucket I keep in the kitchen which gets scraps and garden surplus in it. Then I toss it out every morning when letting the chickens out. They spend all day roaming their fenced run (see BYC page) for bugs and greens, mulberries, etc.

 

[meadowsong]

That is basically what our chickens do also. They were totally free range, until they got into my garden, so I have been keeping them in their run. Their run is about 500 square feet and there is plenty of grass, a sandy area, a little tree and so forth in there. They also have greens (swiss chard, spinach, and collards) planted right outside the fence that they can pick at through the fence.

Anyways, right now they get mainly scraps, a little scratch every morning, whatever they scavenge themselves, but I do give them a little bit of layer mash. Like 1-2 cottage cheese conatiner a day. It takes them a very long time to make it through a bag of feed. I'd like to kind of wean them off of it though lol.

What about winters? We have cold, long, snowy winters and I'm not sure about that.

 

[Equus5O]

What exactly is mash when it comes to chickens?

When I fed mash to my horses it involved hot water and steeping.

Is it the same for chickens? I'll give them chickie oatmeal (splashing water out of the container onto the ground and tossing feed into the water), but I'm not making a bran mash for my chickens! LOL

 

[codybird]

I think that layer feed is to make sure that the chickens have as good nutrition as possible to lay as many eggs as possible.

Their nutrition would depend on how much area they have to "free range" on. If they are free ranging in a 10 sq. ft. per bird run I would say their feed would need to be supplemented with layer ration. If they are free ranging on a lush 400 acre pasture and/or woods they would need less.

Free ranging plus table scraps only will get you some eggs, but maybe not work the chickens to their max potential. Depends on what they are eating. If maximizing their egg laying potential is not an issue, then as long as they are healthy you've done your job.

I feed layer pellets. From what I understand pellets, mash or crumbles may be offered on a regional basis.

 

[meadowsong]

Sorry, everyone here just calls it mash. It would be the same as crumbles. Just a smashed version of pellets I guess lol.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I don't. My chickens free range and eat scraps too and I feed them corn and lots of fresh veggies.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:
Mash is the fine powdery feed. Crumbles are the chunky bits that looks like a mix (in shape/size) of rolled oats and granola. Pellets are formed pieces just like rabbit pellets or other animal pellet foods.

Our chickens get a mix of scraps, free-range/plants, etc., but also are free fed lay pellets since we live in the desert and the vegetation on the property is not enough to sustain our flock on its own. They get fresh zucchini, melons, greens, etc too.

 

[meadowsong]

Oh, there is a difference then haha. See what I know. It's definetly a crumble what we get but the people at the feed store call it mash. Oh well.

I'm really happy to see that others don't. I was starting to second guess myself on not feeding it to them. I don't feel bad with them just getting a scoop a day though. They eat more bugs, grass, and scraps than anything else.

 

[meadowsong]

OH and on zucchini, my chickens ate everyone of my zucchini's clean off in 2 days haha. We have fenced off the garden since then.