Free Ranging and Feed

[BarredBuff]

Do they need to be fed layena while they free range?

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I do. They eat less of it, though.

 

[teach1rusl]

I always offer layer feed free choice. As the previous person mentioned, they do eat less of it when they free range.

 

[Kittymomma]

Same here. I'll switch back to gamebird next month though since I'll have chicks again, but that works well too as long as you have oyster shell out free choice. In the winter my 25 go thru about 50lbs a week, during the late spring-early fall the 50lb bag lasts between 10-14 days.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

If range is good they won't eat much, but you should keep it available to them free choice. If they're free ranging all day I'd offer scratch feed as well. Range is typically good for protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, but is often a bit short on carbohydrates. The scratch would fill that need.

.....Alan.

 

[Warthog]

Mine free range everyday for 8/10 hours each day. I still give them layer feed, but I limite the amount only because they were wasting a lot and if there was too much about they just wouldn't go out.

I do give them feed before they go out and when they come back in the evenings and there is always a little left in their feeders during the day (what they didn't eat before going out). Also when they come in, in the evenings they get an kitchen scraps I have saved during the day.

 

[raizin]

I leave it 24/7. If they are wasting your feed then I would look at the height of the feeder, it should be at the chicken's back height. If it is lower they tend to throw more of it out on the ground. Mine cut down their consumption voluntarily while free ranging and consume about 50% less feed than in the winter.
raisin

 

[Beekissed]

I free range and I feed laying mash in the evenings. This makes for more foraging during the day but no one goes to bed with an empty belly if they didn't find enough to eat on pasture. I've found that they eat more if fed in the morning and then do less foraging the rest of the day. Of course, this makes for my poop in the coop....but I use it all for gardening, so the benefits are two-fold for me.

 

[daffodyllady]

I have 30 layers, who I keep inside in the mornings, to keep them laying in the place I want them to. I allow them to free-range in the afternoons and then shut them up at dusk.
I used to feed layer mash crumbles, but one time the feed store was out of crumbles, so I had to take a bag of pellets instead.
Guess what? It seems that the pellets are easier for the birds to pick up if they spill one out, so it gets cleaned up. I used to see feed spilled on the floor, but no longer. And a bag of feed lasts longer, too.

 

[Kim_NC]

I keep feed available 24/7 inside the coop. They do eat less of it when they can free range, but I still feel they should have it if they want it.

I use pellets because they waste less pellets than crumbles. Occassionally they do scatter some on the floor around the feeder. I simply don't refill the feeder until they clean up the floor.