Feed Management Methods [Poll]

[RoyalChick]

I chose hen house and secure run. They're kept in an electric poultry netting setup + their 10*10 coop, and have access to grass due to it. The fencing was 100ft long and still retains grass despite them being on it for months without me rotating it.

That would be another interesting question to gauge whether a flock has 'enough space' - whether their area is green or completely denuded of vegetation. I have been reassured that mine are OK with their space as the only denuded areas are where they have dug their big bath holes.

 

[Fallenone05]

That would be another interesting question to gauge whether a flock has 'enough space' - whether their area is green or completely denuded of vegetation. I have been reassured that mine are OK with their space as the only denuded areas are where they have dug their big bath holes.

That's the same with my flock as well, plus their coop rests directly on soil with no floor. They dirt bathe where they like! My only problem is winter when everything is dead, but that's their grass plus the whole yard just... Dead.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I think 500 will be a hard target to hit.
I've asked people to vote on my thread.
What you could do is every time you post on a feed topic link to the poll with a request to vote. Probably more acceptable than tagging people.

I've already added a link to my cut and paste recommend. I'll add a second link when I create the next poll, then a blurb about helping BYC make better recommendations - tell us about your flock and management at the bottom.

We are on the same page here

 

[Shadrach]

I've already added a link to my cut and paste recommend. I'll add a second link when I create the next poll, then a blurb about helping BYC make better recommendations - tell us about your flock and management at the bottom.

We are on the same page here

You do realise the percentages don't add up don't you?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

The Percentages are generated by the Script, I have nothing to do with them. I assume there is more than a little rounding error involved. There usually is.

Additionally (and more significantly in this case) its dividing the number of entries for a particular selection by the total number of VOTERS, not Votes. Since several posters maintain multiple flocks, in different ways, they voted multiple times. The Script wasn't written to account for that.

Currently, 68 members have cast 81 votes.

Blame the website, i didn't write it.

So 35.3% of participating posters have at least one flock that is kept inside coop and run essentially all the time. But only 29.6% of the flocks (assuming they don't have multiple flocks, each kept independently secure - which this poll was NOT intended to capture) are kept that way.

 

[Sally PB]

I have a small flock of 6 hens. They have never free ranged, due to predator load. I have thought about getting some electric fencing to give them some of the side yard, but that possible project is way down the list at the moment.

The run is 164 sf, so just over 27 sf each, plus the coop is open all day for laying, perching, or pestering me for treats while I clean.

There is food (all flock crumble) in the coop; food and water in the run. All are removed at night. I give them buckets of weeds from the garden several times a week during garden season. There are some other treats, but the main one is the food wetted into a mash, along with some greens or kitchen scraps.

 

[Regina Larsen]

My girls sleep in a predator proof barn of their own, and free range over fenced 3/4 acre during the day. They do pretty well - at bedtime they all have full crops; they do eat layer feed but get lots of bugs and seeds and some of my girls love greens of many types. In fall they get lots of dropped fruit in the orchard.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I selected "My flock free ranges > 1,000 sq ft/bird, and is only secure overnight." because I have a small flock of 7 adult birds (one hen recently brooded 7 chicks) (one hen is brooding 9 eggs), 2 almost adult birds, 2 juveniles (4 week old chicks, fully integrated into the flock), that live on my 1/2 acre that has chain link fencing all the way around but without any overhead security measures during daylight hours. Chain link is great for large predators, but does nothing to stop cats, raccoons, snakes and the like. Hawks and other birds of prey are commonplace here, but I have a lot of tree coverage. These birds live on my fully secured back patio at night.

 

[MaryJanet]

the follow up will be asking about the grounds on which they free range - to sort the small back yard full of grass from the pasture of grass, the pasture of grain, the fruit orchard, and the chickens being used to keep the veggie gardens bug free. Since each involve diferent forage variety and quantity. It will take me a few days to come up with the "answers" to that poll to capture the data I want.

FWIW, some people with backyard flocks have houses on sandy soil which means only certain types of plants grow. You might want to ask about soil + forage.

 

[Regina Larsen]

I selected "My flock free ranges > 1,000 sq ft/bird, and is only secure overnight." because I have a small flock of 7 adult birds (one hen recently brooded 7 chicks) (one hen is brooding 9 eggs), 2 almost adult birds, 2 juveniles (4 week old chicks, fully integrated into the flock), that live on my 1/2 acre that has chain link fencing all the way around but without any overhead security measures during daylight hours. Chain link is great for large predators, but does nothing to stop cats, raccoons, snakes and the like. Hawks and other birds of prey are commonplace here, but I have a lot of tree coverage. These birds live on my fully secured back patio at night.

Very similar to our setup. We have tons of tree cover and the dog is on patrol as well. Coons snd possums are only night risk and thankfully we have no big snakes or foxes here.