Free choice feeding vs. Scheduled feeding; opinions??

[centrarchid]

Forage is better than commercial feed?

In my opinion, based on quality of growth and eggs, when forage is of excellent quantity and not limiting I cannot beat it with a commercial feed. Keep that in context that commercial feeds are more nutrient dense and can be easier for birds to consume. There are times with some poultry keepers that birds that have to work for their grub are better as a finished product. For me this means muscle tone, feather quality, hatch-ability of eggs, and longevity assuming you do not have a predator issue. I would not extrapolate that to Cornish X or any of the egg production breeds, including Leghorns that are selected for performance on nutrient dense feeds.

What must always be considered is how much and the quality of the forage. It is easy to have more birds than the landscape can support, especially when we are using a feed to keep them concentrated in area to point the forage base collapses.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks for that, @centrarchid

 

[AmyJane725]

Mine have unlimited access to food in the coop and in the run. I don't have any overeaters on my hands. If I bring in a "treat" (wet chicken feed or a plum or something) they all come running and gobble it up, but they're quite responsible with their normal food.

 

[MarkButcher]

What are ya'lls benefits for both??

When we first started out, we were told to keep food and water accessible at all times, especially for ducks, even if free ranging. I'm part of quite a few groups on facebook and always see videos of "breakfast" or "dinner time". Just wanna make sure I'm doing what is best for them!!

I've also seen some people mention not having water in duck coops at night because it's so messy. Being I keep food readily available, I always have water available. Is that not a necessity?? Thanks again guys ya'll are always so helpful!

We do a morning and afternoon feeding, and the flock free ranges duriong the day. We save a lot on feed that way, and my flock of 17 is healthy as can be, and with a 3/4 ratio of lay pellets on what we do feed, we get a great return on egg production.

 

[KIMEng]

Ok, I need to get them out more I try too at least 1 time a day this has been a bit more challenging as we are re-constructing the coop after the raccoon took my dear Leghorn.

Pecking order: retrospectively I had noticed Goldie (my Buff Orpington) was not getting bigger, gaining weight as much, and Teriyaki (my Barred Rock) and Sue Ellen (my Silver Laced Wyandotte) were. I think this has been going on longer than I thought. I went and got a bigger feeder at Tractor supply and thought with more spaced between them Teriyaki would not literally peck at her, well that did not last long. I do put Goldie out in the coop first so she can have a good minute or two at the feed before the other girls come in. So Options as Goldie is my favorite bird and I really do not like her getting picked on and I have 4 more 9 wk old (a Lavender Orpington, Blk Jersey Giant, Barred Rock and Buff Polish) I will be introducing to the flock in about 2-3 wks with an established bossy bird-now what to do. Interestingly enough Teriyaki does not peck at Sue Ellen , she is a big girl and I think would not tolerate it. She is also pretty friendly with us.

First off, I really do not limit their feed, they get the laying pellets-about a cup each , some dried corn, blk sunflower seeds, raw grain, oyster shell and some grit thrown in. In the afternoon they get what ever leftover veggies or fruit of the day.

Options:
1. Go ahead and get another feeder, but I think this encourages Teriyaki's bad behavior and secludes Goldie more.
2. Quarantine Teriyaki for a day and see if I can reestablish the pecking order-I really don't want pecking order at all but i know that is unrealistic Sue Ellen the (SLW) is really the biggest bird and while ornery, that is mostly at us.
3. Not sure if I should wait this out?

Any thoughts? Thanks Kim

 

[Folly's place]

It generally works out better to have at least two feeders and waterers, in separate areas of the coop/ run, to minimize this sort of problem.
Actually having your dominant bird in a separate place, out of sight of the flock, for at least ten days or so, might work.
Layer feed is meant to be fed exclusively, it's pretty low in protein, and adding your extra yummy treats is not improving it's quality. These are big birds, and an all-flock or grower feed (18% to 20% protein) would be better, with the separate oyster shell, and then later some goodies.
Mary

 

[Maugwa]

Also for about the last month or more and into the next couple of months I am feeding a lot of garden culls and extras. One hill of zucchini and one hill of yellow crook necks produces far more squash than I'll ever eat, but instead of planting one hill of each, I just keep planting until the seed packets are empty, or six hills of each this year. There is a small irrigation ditch that runs beside my property, and I just plant near enough to it that once all those hills of squash are established, I no longer need to water them. I also grow about twice as many tomatoes and cucumbers as I need in the garden. Between cut or scabbed tomatoes, cukes that got too big, thinned beets, and Summer squash coming out of my ears, and etc, I'm getting at least a five gallon bucket, often two of this stuff daily for 16 chickens - oh and cantaloupe guts, and watermelon rinds (they don't eat the whole rind, but they eat more than I do - to the skin). The big stuff, squash, cukes, etc. they eat better if it's chopped a bit, nothing fancy, I just chunk it some with my shovel. I still give them about a third of a ration of all flock chicken feed and keep a bowl full of half oyster shell and half crumbled egg shell, so they have access to whatever chicken vitamins they may miss from too much produce and they hunt bugs too. Also, I'm going to have a bunch of big pumpkins again this fall, I'll probably make a couple of Jack O lanterns, maybe a pie or two, probably give a few away, but ration the rest out to chickens. There should be plenty to feed one a day until Christmas, just get 'em before they freeze and put them in the basement or someplace cool - feed the ones you carved on first.

 

[KIMEng]

It generally works out better to have at least two feeders and waterers, in separate areas of the coop/ run, to minimize this sort of problem.
Actually having your dominant bird in a separate place, out of sight of the flock, for at least ten days or so, might work.
Layer feed is meant to be fed exclusively, it's pretty low in protein, and adding your extra yummy treats is not improving it's quality. These are big birds, and an all-flock or grower feed (18% to 20% protein) would be better, with the separate oyster shell, and then later some goodies.
Mary

Ok, this morning I put the usual big feeder out and let Goldie out first to get 3-4 min head start in feeding, she went right to it, but did not eat like she was starving. After about 3 mins she went to roost and lay her egg, its like clock work with her. I also put a smaller feeder in the corner. This morning it seems to have worked and no pecking While eating-so far so good. So I took a look at the layer freed its Organic but only like 16% protein, I do give the grub worms and dried crickets to scratch around the ground and find, I will get some all-flock feed as I do have 4 more chicks coming of age to integrate into the flock soon. THANK YOU!! BTW-someone saw the pic of Goldie and said she felt she was a red sex link, I bought her as a Buff Orpington, but in looking at the pics of them on Google she is definitely a Red Sex link, who knew-she is still as sweetheart of a bird

 

[Celticdragonfly]

I agree that it depends on your situation somewhat, so let me lay out mine. I have three girls (all my town allows, I intend to petition them to raise that) in an all-in-one coop-and-run that was professionally built for me, we added on an anti-digging apron. It is as secure as we can get it - so generally the little pop door between the coop and the run is left open all the time.

I am partially handicapped, nocturnal, I don't do well in the sun, and I'm kinda lazy - all of which means the chickens are already getting me outside a lot more than I had been before, which I think is good for me. But no way I want to have to be out there for scheduled mealtimes for them. We have food and water in hanging feeders (now that they've outgrown the chick feeders) in their run, and keep it availalbe for them all the time. Not in the coop, but they can get to the run when they want.

Their run is roofed, gets shade from the house in the morning, and we put up a gazebo/pavilion thing to the west to give it shade in the evening - and I try to get out and give them free range time to eat grass and bugs when I can stand the temperature, so usually evenings and occasionally early mornings. But their main food is available for them all the time.

 

[Chickengene]

I actually do both. For my adult birds they have water and feed in the coop 24-7. Some days I have to be gone most of the day, or I leave before daybreak, or can't be sure to be home by dusk. So I don't let them out on those days.
Normally they free range so a pound of feed will last a couple weeks.
My momma hen has a blind chick that my wife is hell bent on raising as a normal chicken, so I keep them in a separate coop pretty much 24-7. Only time they get out is if my wife and I have the time to watch them and round up L'll Bit, the blind chick. There feed sits on the ground where mice can get to it so it comes out every evening.