Free feeding vs holding back forcing them to forage.

[Auscal]

Quote:
Seconding that that is a great explanation. Thankyou for taking the time to post.

I personally found it interesting, since I am currently questioning the feed I am giving to my (very small) back yard flock that currently has all of four layers. The organic layer pellet I am using is (a minimum of )15.8% protein ( fed free-feed). I have been feeding this for about the past 6 weeks (birds are currently 24 weeks old). Previous to that they were on a 18% grower crumbles. They are also receiving garden fruits and veges, and free range time on poor range.(and oyster shell is available) So, the actual protein level they are receiving would be even lower than the 15.8% Since the change in feed, IMO the birds have dropped some condition/weight. I don't know whether to relate this to the change in feed, or natural stresses on the body with the start of laying. I am satisfied with the number of eggs, but, size is disappointing - it is gradually increasing, but currently averages around 49gm (officially small - almost medium). After reading your results, I now plan to supplement their feed to increase the protein level - just need to figure out how - I have read suggestion of eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese - but, this seems an expensive route. Some cat food I currently have here may be a more cost effective option - maybe 1/3 cup daily between the four. I'm open to suggestions here. It will be trial and error. I know my results may not be as easy to document as yours - but, it's all food for thought.

My layers are 3 RIR X Delaware, and 1 Delaware.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Seconding that that is a great explanation. Thankyou for taking the time to post.

I personally found it interesting, since I am currently questioning the feed I am giving to my (very small) back yard flock that currently has all of four layers. The organic layer pellet I am using is (a minimum of )15.8% protein ( fed free-feed). I have been feeding this for about the past 6 weeks (birds are currently 24 weeks old). Previous to that they were on a 18% grower crumbles. They are also receiving garden fruits and veges, and free range time on poor range.(and oyster shell is available) So, the actual protein level they are receiving would be even lower than the 15.8% Since the change in feed, IMO the birds have dropped some condition/weight. I don't know whether to relate this to the change in feed, or natural stresses on the body with the start of laying. I am satisfied with the number of eggs, but, size is disappointing - it is gradually increasing, but currently averages around 49gm (officially small - almost medium). After reading your results, I now plan to supplement their feed to increase the protein level - just need to figure out how - I have read suggestion of eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese - but, this seems an expensive route. Some cat food I currently have here may be a more cost effective option - maybe 1/3 cup daily between the four. I'm open to suggestions here. It will be trial and error. I know my results may not be as easy to document as yours - but, it's all food for thought.

My layers are 3 RIR X Delaware, and 1 Delaware.

At 24 week ,they are still pullets which eggs are smaller, but soon will start laying larger eggs.

 

[Auscal]

I think I unintentionally put too much emphasis on the "egg size" part of my post. So, I'm re-posting this part.

"Since the change in feed, IMO the birds have dropped some condition/weight. I don't know whether to relate this to the change in feed, or natural stresses on the body with the start of laying."

Deerman, thankyou for the response, I do understand egg size will increase "soon"(?)- anyone have info on at what approx. age maximum egg size can expect to be reached, and maintained?

Though, I made a huge omolette for breakfast - the eggs might be small, but they still taste good!

 

[cottagechick]

I have been wondering about my Bantam pullets. They are about 4.5 months old. At the moment I have only two. Their food is always in their pen - which is available to them all day. But I am not sure if they eat any during the day. The only time that I actually SEE them eat it is when they go to bed. It appears to me that they will "notice it" and go crazy eating for about 20 seconds and then get up on their roost. Is this just a bedtime snack? They graze my yard all day. They have definitely grown in the six weeks that I have had them. Their gullets are full when I pick them up. They are lively and their feathers are beautiful. I filled up one of those mason jar feeders at least a week ago and it is still half full. I still have the on the starter/grower. I have put a cuttle bone in there with them. I realize that they are very small and that there are only two. Also it has been unusually hot, but should they be eating more? There are lots of good plants and bugs in my yard but I want to make sure they get enough of what they need. Should I put food outside their pen also? Should I switch them to a higher protein if they are eating so little pellets. They are not laying yet, and I assume they should start within the next couple of months...Any suggestions.

 

[ageranger361]

The type of bird and availability of forage are going to be huge factors in this equation. The guy who posted about having a $5000/mo feed bill is probably using a laying variety as opposed to a dual purpose/heritage variety. Hybrid Layers are good at laying, but only when they have unlimited access to commercial feed, whereas heritage birds are much better at foraging and pasturing a larger percentage of their daily requirements.

If you have desert sand and no pasture you won’t be able to do very well forcing them to forage when there’s nothing to be had. If you have wooded areas or large areas of good pasture or both, your ability to force them to earn more of their own keep goes up.

Another huge factor is how much room they have per bird. So the guy above with a $5000 feed bill likely has a ton more birds than the area they are kept can support. A good rule of thumb is 400 birds per acre on VERY GOOD pasture and rotating the birds from paddock to paddock every few weeks. If you cannot rotate them, on GOOD pasture you can raise 100 birds per acre in the same area indefinitely.

Either way, You will still only be able to force them to a 50% feed to forage ratio at BEST without losing all of your egg production or taking too long to come to meat harvest size.

Another option is to run chickens following goats, hogs, or cattle in a rotation cycle. The chickens will happily pick up left feed grains and eat worms and larvae from the left manure piles.

Still another, even better option is to cover an area with 12” of green wood chips and allow the chickens to compost the wood chips in place. If you have access to free or cheap green wood chips you can cover a large area, as we do, 50’X120’ for 24 birds (half being garden, so the chickens are on 25X120), and just scatter enough scratch grains on the surface to keep the chickens interested in scratching around looking for grain. They dig into the mulch and scratch it around looking for grain and weeds/weed seeds. Give them access to pasture areas to every other day or so. We’re getting about 5 eggs per bird per week using this method.

Chickens originally lived on forest floors under trees and canopy scratching around in the dead fall looking for bugs. Put them back into as close as you can to their original environment. Only feed half daily rations or less in this system, and make sure you have a good foraging type of heritage bird, and you’ll be fine. Give them DE in their scratch grain daily to combat parasites.