Enough chicken feed?

[The crazy chicken lady]

Hello,
I have decided that I want to get chickens. Currently I am working on getting a coop and making them a run and am taking this time to do as much research as I can. That being said here is my question, I would love to have free range chicken however I kind of live in the suburbs and for many reason decided with the largest run I can make in my small backyard. My concern is that they will not get enough nutrition, especially in the winter months since I live is Massachusetts. I Do plan on feeding other things like table scraps, weeds and and what I can gather for them. I will also use chicken feed. However I only want to only use it as a supplement because I would really like to have free range. So my question is how do i know my girls will be getting enough nutrition? Also like I said I live in the suburbs and I don't think we have food mills or stuff like that, if we do I don't know where to find them. One more question and i know this one is kinda dumb but I am going to ask it anyways. If I use other feeding methods in the winter will they forget how to forge in the spring and summer?

 

[FrankHomestead]

Hello,
I have decided that I want to get chickens. Currently I am working on getting a coop and making them a run and am taking this time to do as much research as I can. That being said here is my question, I would love to have free range chicken however I kind of live in the suburbs and for many reason decided with the largest run I can make in my small backyard. My concern is that they will not get enough nutrition, especially in the winter months since I live is Massachusetts. I Do plan on feeding other things like table scraps, weeds and and what I can gather for them. I will also use chicken feed. However I only want to only use it as a supplement because I would really like to have free range. So my question is how do i know my girls will be getting enough nutrition? Also like I said I live in the suburbs and I don't think we have food mills or stuff like that, if we do I don't know where to find them. One more question and i know this one is kinda dumb but I am going to ask it anyways. If I use other feeding methods in the winter will they forget how to forge in the spring and summer?

You can also build a tractor for them if you don't want them running all over the place, I live in the city for now so that's what I did. I let them out of the coop and into the tractor every morning and drag it to a spot full of grass and weeds..and drag them to a New area a cpl times a day so they don't demolish one spot, and get more forage access. I would do this, and keep their feed in the coop so they can top off whatever nutrition they didn't get from forage at the end of the day. also no, they will not forget how to forage during the winter, it's in their nature, and no chicken has forage access in the winter in colder climates.

 

[FrankHomestead]

Because their run will soon become just dirt, the grass will stop growing there from their foraging and scratching.

 

[The crazy chicken lady]

Thank you for your reply. So in the winter when there is nothing to forge on and I have to supplement how do I know they are getting the proper nutrition? Will they only eat the grain if they are hungry? I've read that over weight chickens are also a problem.

 

[FrankHomestead]

Thank you for your reply. So in the winter when there is nothing to forge on and I have to supplement how do I know they are getting the proper nutrition? Will they only eat the grain if they are hungry? I've read that over weight chickens are also a problem.

Yes winter everything they eat will only be what you're giving them. If you keep their feeder full with commercial feed and provide grit and oystershell on the side they will be getting everything they need. if you do homemade feed like me, make sure they are getting the proper amount of protein, and add vitamin/mineral supplement to it. I also ferment their feed which I highly suggest, so many benefits to that. Also growing fodder for them is great especially in the winter when they don't have access to any grass nor weeds. As far as overeating, I guess that depends on the breed or individual. I don't have a problem at all with that, often there will be food leftover in their dish- I don't keep a feeder full since I ferment the feed, I give them their ration twice a day in addition to foraging in the tractor. You will have to see how much they can eat in a 5 or 10 minute session and adjust to their needs. There's really never a clear definite answer to much of anything, you just have to jump in and learn as you go.

 

[FrankHomestead]

To ferment feed: pour feed in a big bucket, 5g or so, and soak in water for a few days to a week before feeding, it won't hurt to start feeding earlier though. when you see bubbles that means fermentation has started. you don't need to remove feed from this, just keep adding feed and water as needed to keep it going.
there's many benefits to this including natural probiotics which help to grow good gut bacteria and improve immune system to fight off diseases. the fermentation process also starts to break down the food so the nutrients are more easily absorbed by the birds, and they also get more protein than if it we're not fermented. Being so, your flock will actually need less feed, so your feed will go further and you will save money in that aspect. Also chickens love fermented feed.
To grow fodder:
You can use just about any grain you'd like as long as it is whole/intact. for instance hulled barley will not sprout. most people use whole barley because it has the most protein, but it can be hard to find locally. I personally use hard red winter wheat, which has more protein than white wheat.
OK so, soak the grains in water over night, I use a Mason jar with a coffee filter secured over the top with a rubber band so it still gets oxygen. in the morning drain the water, rinse the grains, draining as much water as possible, and leave the grains in the jar for an additional day or two, continuing to rinse and drain a few times a day to keep them moist and also prevent mold. make sure you use a coffee filter or cheesecloth or something of the like, do not use a lid. then after a day or 2 they will have nice little roots and you will notice the jar filling up from root growth and also swollen grains from absorbing the water. you'll want to then spread out the grains on a seedling flat that or something similar that has holes for draining. I use an elongated strainer that has holes small enough the grains won't fall through. lightly water these a few times a day, I actually water them several times a day, but as long as the grains don't dry out it will continue to grow. make sure there is no standing water or that will encourage mold, drainage is very important here. you'll soon see little sprouts and by day 5 or 6 it will be tall, lush green sprouts that you wish your lawn looked so perfect! at this time the fodder has maxed out on it's nutrient potential and go ahead and feed to the flock.
The great thing about fodder is all the nutrients that are locked into that hard shell are unleashed and readily absorbed by your birds. they will eat the grains, roots and sprouts so give it all to them!! Have fun...I know I do

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Chickens are definitely worth having, but it would be best to revise your thinking about their feed. The most balanced and cost effective diet will be commercial feed, bought fresh (always check the mill dates on each bag!) at the feed store. Other stuff they can gather is nice, but not the main thing. Modern egg layers (is that what you want to have?) work very hard metabolically to produce all those eggs, and need good food! Malnutrition is not the answer, and you can't grow enough feed for them, and buy the grains, and the vitamin/mineral mix, for anywhere close to the cost at the feed store. Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

Especially with your setup you need to flip flop your thinking. Chicken feed from a feed store should be the bulk of your chickens' diet, like 90% of it. Forage, scraps, etc. can make up the rest but really that's optional. Commercial feeds are formulated to be a nutritionally complete diet for chickens.

 

[FrankHomestead]

Lol I knew there would be at least one person to pop up and burst my advice bubble, which is exactly why I FIRST said commercial feed would give them everything they need, before giving the second option. Guess that was lost in my words.

 

[mechanic57]

Lol I knew there would be at least one person to pop up and burst my advice bubble, which is exactly why I FIRST said commercial feed would give them everything they need, before giving the second option. Guess that was lost in my words.

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with you or your feed methods. I think they were saying the OP should revise their approach to this. I would say to the OP that just because chickens are given commerical feed, it doesn't make them non free range chickens. The FDA definition of free range is they have access the outside. No time frame is mentioned for how much time they are allowed outside and nothing about their diet goes into that definition. As mentioned, all chickens need us to supplement their diet in winter, especially when the ground gets snow covered. Commercial feed from places like Tractor Supply, Runnings Farm & Fleet, or similar feed stores, is designed to provide all the nutrients they need to stay healthy.