Feeding chickens via spreading food on ground to encourage foraging?

[Goblin0601]

Could I theoretically start spreading their food on the ground outside? Do they need an endless supply of food in the feeders left out, and I could put some food on the ground for them to go look for when I let them roam during the day? I figured this would be enriching for them.

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

Spreading food on the ground is not a good idea. You will waste large amounts and invite rodents. Chickens are natural foragers and can figure it out themselves. If you wanted to get some chicken treats and spread them in small amounts in your preferred foraging location, your birds would enjoy this.

 

[cmobley]

Chickens don't need to be encouraged to forage. You'll be throwing food away.

 

[3KillerBs]

I scatter scratch in the areas where I want my chickens to work the ground, but only in small quantities.

The food stays in the feeder to keep it clean, dry, fresh, and uncontaminated.

 

[chickentrains]

Blegh, with how much they poo in my backyard, I'd never put their food on top of the muddy poo swamp that is my backyard right now.

I sometimes throw scratch in dry, clean areas, but they do their own foraging, without my help.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I scatter scratch in the areas where I want my chickens to work the ground, but only in small quantities.

The food stays in the feeder to keep it clean, dry, fresh, and uncontaminated.

Same...a handful of feed, corn, etc helps “direct” them where I want them. They don’t need it to know how to forage...it’s more to suggest “where”.