Feeding scraps to chickens

[gtaus]

Imagine how much better off they would have been with healthier chickens!

I don't know. I imagine many of those old time farmers had chicken breeds that were expert free range foragers. So giving that a little corn was just a bonus, not their main staple. I never see chickens in a cage in the old westerns, which is about the extend to my knowledge of old time farming.

 

[woodmort]

I don't know. I imagine many of those old time farmers had chicken breeds that were expert free range foragers. So giving that a little corn was just a bonus, not their main staple. I never see chickens in a cage in the old westerns, which is about the extend to my knowledge of old time farming.

From knowledge--yes the chickens were free range--often underfoot when putting up hay, corn and ensilage. There were always a few that got into the barn and finding eggs was always interesting. Once a day they got kitchen scraps and, in winter when there was snow on the ground, some ground corn and mash. One of the kinds I remember from my childhood was "Lay Or Bust". The ad showed a rooster exploding.

Generally speaking the flock was the woman in the family's responsibility and her egg money was her's to spend.

 

[woodmort]

Right now,BTW, my adult birds are free ranging on my blueberries. Fortunately they just eat what they can reach from the ground or falls there. When I first let them out in the morning they bee-line for the patch and spend most of the day there.

 

[Chickassan]

Your green ones are safe, chickens won't touch a green tomato or the vine itself.
Start frying the green ones, beat them at their own game lol.

Apparently they like tomatoes and I created a monster. Wife came home and found four chickens sitting in my container garden helping themselves to my ripening Big Boy tomatoes..

 

[Chickengene]

I don't know. I imagine many of those old time farmers had chicken breeds that were expert free range foragers. So giving that a little corn was just a bonus, not their main staple. I never see chickens in a cage in the old westerns, which is about the extend to my knowledge of old time farming.

I can tell you that sixty five years ago, all the farms around my grandparents had freerange chickens, and usually a couple hundred chickens. I think the only reason grandma fed them corn was to make sure she could catch one every Sunday.

 

[gtaus]

From knowledge--yes the chickens were free range

Do you remember those free range birds being less healthy than commercial fed birds of today? I realize that might not be a fair comparison as some breeds are just better foragers than others.

 

[gtaus]

I think the only reason grandma fed them corn was to make sure she could catch one every Sunday.

I can see that. Probably also to keep them closer to the house so they don't find their way to a neighbors plot, or pot!

 

[Willowspirit]

Do you remember those free range birds being less healthy than commercial fed birds of today? I realize that might not be a fair comparison as some breeds are just better foragers than others.

It’s hard to say. Certainly chickens weren’t to the bloated standard of today’s supermarket chickens. Also I’ve heard tell of some of the flock being too old to eat. My guess about that is balancing fuel to cook vs getting edible chicken!

 

[Sequel]

My rooster seems to avoid bugs and worms. The girls love them, Randy not so much. I feel like he isn't getting enough protein.

I just read something recently that said an adult rooster has a much lower protein requirement. It makes sense when you think about it, they don't lay eggs!

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

You have to remember that those "ol time" farm birds also weren't selectively bred to lay 250+ eggs per year. You can google the exact numbers, but chickens have gone from "scavengers that lay a few eggs" to "egg laying machines" in the last 100 (give or take) years.

These aren't your grandpa's "dung hill fowl"!