Feed Management Methods [Poll]

[bruceha2000]

What happens to free ranging when it snows and what adjustments do I need to make?

My girls don't like snow (except to eat off my boots) so they mostly stay in the barn in the winter. Since the barn is unheated I give them 24 hour food in the winter so they have as much fuel as they need. When they are willing to go out (spring, summer, fall) I feed them outside twice a day.

 

[Suzz]

My 10 chickens have a 12 by 24 run a 6 by 8 coop and 20 acres to free range 2 to 4 hours a day they spend the majority of their free range time in the horse pasture or close to the run

 

[Ozarkoak]

We have over 40 birds and they are secured at night and let out around 5:30AM. We have around 30 acres but they use nothing even close to that. I would say the maximum range is around 200-250 feet from their home base. Some not even close to that. The time they are furthest away is early morning and late afternoon but locations change at those times. So they are not in the same place in the mornings as they are in the afternoon.

 

[raingarden]

We have over 40 birds and they are secured at night and let out around 5:30AM. We have around 30 acres but they use nothing even close to that. I would say the maximum range is around 200-250 feet from their home base. Some not even close to that. The time they are furthest away is early morning and late afternoon but locations change at those times. So they are not in the same place in the mornings as they are in the afternoon.

That's interesting. They're choosing to use about 5,000 square feet per bird.

 

[Ozarkoak]

That's interesting. They're choosing to use about 5,000 square feet per bird.

They seem to have 3 different cliques. One almost totally separates its self. The other two stay close together but still separate. There are also a few loaner birds that will forage totally by themselves. One of the cliques is the last to head to the roosts. Two of the other groups will be roosted and I will have to go out and herd the last group to bed.