My flock of 5 hens barely touch their layer feed. They pick at it as soon as I let them out of the coop in the morning and get a quick snack before returning to the coop at night. They free range all day. As Davaroo suggests, I always leave it out for them anyway, even if the crows and wild turkeys stop by for a snack. From the Spring to the Fall, my girls eat minimal feed and forage to their hearts content on the 1 acre of grass surrounding the house.
But as Uncle ben would say, "with free ranging comes great responsibility". Proactive varmint control is essential. I used to be a mild mannered biochemist/equities analyst until I got chickens. Oh, don't get me wrong, I kept my day job, but at night, I've turned into a gun toting lunatic.
Okay, maybe that's a little harsh. But, I bought my first gun (a scoped .22 rifle) and a game camera and review my pictures every other day. When a dangerous critter shows up, I don't wait for an incident to occur, I cull the offending critter. I consider it to be an essential part of being able to "safely" free range my birds.
And as much enjoyment I get from watching them free range, honestly, I don't know if I'd keep chickens if I had to contain them. They sure are entertaining units!
But as Uncle ben would say, "with free ranging comes great responsibility". Proactive varmint control is essential. I used to be a mild mannered biochemist/equities analyst until I got chickens. Oh, don't get me wrong, I kept my day job, but at night, I've turned into a gun toting lunatic.
Okay, maybe that's a little harsh. But, I bought my first gun (a scoped .22 rifle) and a game camera and review my pictures every other day. When a dangerous critter shows up, I don't wait for an incident to occur, I cull the offending critter. I consider it to be an essential part of being able to "safely" free range my birds.
And as much enjoyment I get from watching them free range, honestly, I don't know if I'd keep chickens if I had to contain them. They sure are entertaining units!
