FF, free choice, free range and treats

[Wolfie2]

“free range“ is a bullsh*t term...as i’ve learned from this forum.

You call it what you want to, I"ll call it like I want to. They are not confined to their 16 X 32 "run" all day with nothing to eat but store bought feed. Sorry if I don't conform to your definition.

 

[RebeccaRN]

dude...you have a 1 acre chicken run...most people don’t live on one acre. that’s impressive.

Sorry, I answered that question but it wasn't me you actually asked. I live on an acre also tho and if my birds are getting their own food and not eating what I put out, I consider that free ranging, but thats just my feeling about it

 

[cmom]

dumb question...but why are you calling it “free range” in a goat fenced 1 acre run?

The USDA defines free range basically the same as cage-free, with the exception that free range hens have access to the outdoors. This doesn't mean they're able to roam completely free and might just have access to the outdoors at certain times of the day. Also there is no requirement for space. Cage free is that they are able to step outside of their cage.

 

[RebeccaRN]

Right now I feed my 13 birds free choice flock raiser, they are let out to free range about noon in our 1 acre goat pen and in the evening I entice them back into the pen with a treat, a mix of 1 cup each of BOSS, scratch grains and dried mealworms from TS. The reason for letting them FR @ noon is because I want them to lay in the nest boxes and they are usually through laying by then. They have been laying for about 3 months and I have noticed a few times eggs being laid in the boxes after they have been let out and have not seen any out in the goat pen so I'm almost positive they are returning to the pen/nesting boxes to lay any delinquent eggs. So now I'm thinking about letting them go out in the morning, hoping they will continue coming back the nests to take care of business.
I have been reading about fermented feed and am willing to try this, Even started a batch yesterday. I am planning on feeding this to them in the evening along with or instead of the treats. My thoughts is to just feed a cupful of the FF along with the treats. Or if "instead of" They will still get the scratch as this is what I am fermenting and it has some BOSS in it anyway. The cup full of BOSS in the treats can be cut out but I will still have it just in case 'cause I feed it to the goats. I can save money by cutting out the mealworms and by free ranging All day I can cut out the flock raiser. The way I see it, The FF will enhance the FR grubs nutritional value that they have access to all day and they should not need the flock raiser. Am I making any sense here? Think this is a doable feeding plan?
I can remember my grandmother just letting her birds out in the morning and getting them back into the pen in the evening with scratch grains. This is where I'm getting this idea from ( and BYC for the FF).

I think what you are planning sounds just fine!

 

[Carson213]

I think what you are planning sounds just fine!

we can all agree that “free range” is just ambiguous

 

[RebeccaRN]

we can all agree that “free range” is just ambiguous

Pretty much lol