Free range, how much feed do they need?

[centrarchid]

This can be an art subject to how you define free-range, breed of chicken, and quality of forage.

I put out enough feed in the morning so that it is all cleaned up by noon. I periodically check birds for crop fill about roosting time. If I go too lean on the feed they will free-range farther potentially taking them past where I can protect them or even to point they will move roost site. During winter you got to be careful as sometimes they have a much harder time getting what they need by foraging some days owing to weather making so crop checking needs to be done more often. When I get worried about adequate forage I then step in near end of day with grains and assess behavior. Morning feed during winter is a complete formulation. During summer it can be mostly or entirely grains. I do mostly growing birds, egg laying birds do not sustain when it gets really cold and most desired to go broody.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Around here, bears will tear apart coops just to get to feed left in there. It's not just rodents that are attracted to chicken feed.

Yeah I would love to visit Washington state but wouldn't want to live there with chickens.
Most of the black bears are tagged in my state and no grizzly's that I'm aware of. I have never seen a bear or coyote in my neighborhood in 37 years. I've seen a Fox maybe 3 or 4 times. A Cougar once about a year ago. Many possums seen as road kill daily. The occasional racoon. Never seen a bobcat. That's about it for wild mammals that may like chicken, eggs or feed around here, thankfully. Treats are given in the morning, early afternoon, so no scratch grains left in pen overnight. GC

 

[lazy gardener]

Don't forget Weasels, and Fishers.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Don't forget Weasels, and Fishers.

I've never seen any in my neighborhood thankfully, but I did forget to mention. A coworkers friend lost chickens to a Fisher. GC

 

[lazy gardener]

We definitely have both in our area.

 

[centrarchid]

I've started letting my girls free range durning the day, I throw them snacks throughout the day to keep the from wandering too far. My question is, if they free range all day, how much feed do I need to give them when its evening and they go back in their pen? I have 12 all together.

What might be fun to try is to have a pop up door timed to open a feeder just before birds go to roost. Odds are birds will figure regimen out and come back at time feed is accessible, especially if forage is coming up short. Have so it is in coop.


Such a setup will reduce odds bird loiter around coop because food is there.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I leave a nightlight on till a half hour after sunset, so the chickens can eat and drink before jumping up to the roost, which is where they are when I lock up the coop and turn off the nightlight. GC

 

[gadus]

I feed my 18 hens about 2.5 lbs of game fowl crumble (22% protein) in the morning and the same in the late afternoon. When someone is home to watch them, they are let out in the afternoon for free-ranging. A clear indication to me that there's not as much natural food out there now (autumn in Maine) is that they are more often found closer to home than previously.

Additionally, about every other day I give them a half yogurt container of scratch, sometimes a whole, if I'm feeling generous. They also get all my kitchen compost. Currently, they are allowed to scavenge in a largely fallow garden.

Since this is not entirely a hobby for me, I have to make sure I can get egg production/sales to cover approx $50 of monthly expenses so I'm currently lighting the coop 14 hrs a day.
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*Please note, I haven't raised chickens in 35 years and therefore all of the above is the result of reading posts here (wonderful and encouraging) and my own observations, since April of this year; you are the best judge of what your hens need.

 

[silarajc]

I looking at free ranging 32 chickens on approximately an acre. I'm trying to figure out how big of a feeder I will need, so I need to guess how much they will eat (I guess estimating for the winter, when forage is more scarce). Also, if feed is left out all day, do free-range chickens "mob" the feeder when they come back in - that would mean I would need space for every chicken, right? I saw one agricultural site recommend 10 cm feeder space per chicken (almost 4 inches).

I have considered using a wildlife feeder to have timed feedings every night, and maybe once in the morning, rather than free choice feeding. I planned to have it in the coop, and to funnel the feed into troughs (because I think the feeders throw the feed). I know they would definitely mob the feeder if I had the timed feedings. I've also considered an "on-demand" system where the chicken has to use a trigger, or a tread system, to minimize feeding mice. But if I'm raising layers, maybe free choice is the way to go?

 

[junebuggena]

I looking at free ranging 32 chickens on approximately an acre. I'm trying to figure out how big of a feeder I will need, so I need to guess how much they will eat (I guess estimating for the winter, when forage is more scarce). Also, if feed is left out all day, do free-range chickens "mob" the feeder when they come back in - that would mean I would need space for every chicken, right? I saw one agricultural site recommend 10 cm feeder space per chicken (almost 4 inches).

I have considered using a wildlife feeder to have timed feedings every night, and maybe once in the morning, rather than free choice feeding. I planned to have it in the coop, and to funnel the feed into troughs (because I think the feeders throw the feed). I know they would definitely mob the feeder if I had the timed feedings. I've also considered an "on-demand" system where the chicken has to use a trigger, or a tread system, to minimize feeding mice. But if I'm raising layers, maybe free choice is the way to go?

With that many birds, you're going to need multiple feeders. Generally, you want enough feeders so that at least half the flock can eat at once. Higher ranking birds eat first, lower ranking birds are allowed near the feed once the higher ups are done. Feed should be available to the flock all day long. I remove feed in the evening, once everyone is securely shut in the coop, to reduce the amount of critters being attracted to the coop area.