Free ranging

[ValleyviewRoost]

Hey....I'm just wondering of my hens are getting enough to eat in my back yard....it's not overly large but big enough.....they don't seem to be eating there chicken feed....I give them a few crickets once in a while.......just wondering

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

It is unusual for them to not be eating their feed at all. I would investigate whether it is old/moldy/spoiled- even if you just bought it. I would smell it and determine whether it needs to be tossed.

Another thing you can do is to wet a small amount of it and make a mash. They LOVE wet food.

They should really be topping off their forage with some snacks from your chicken feed.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X2, double check to be sure the food is OK. How is your egg production, hungry chickens usually won't lay eggs as well. If the area is good chickens can find a lot of their food free ranging especially in the spring, some breeds really prefer it.... you could measure the food and see how much they are eating a day, the average seems to be about 4 oz a day if just on feed, so if they are supplementing with what they can find outside, they really may not need much per bird.

 

[ValleyviewRoost]

I've taken extreme measures to not get it wet.....that's good to know ....I'll try that after work....they might eat some of it......the dry food that is....I scatter some on the groung but they don't eat it....they go into there hutch and run once in a blue moon but not that often when there free ranging...

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I've taken extreme measures to not get it wet.....that's good to know ....I'll try that after work....they might eat some of it......the dry food that is....I scatter some on the groung but they don't eat it....they go into there hutch and run once in a blue moon but not that often when there free ranging...

Yes don't put it on the ground - that is how some of my chickens died- it molded on the ground, they ate it and died. (After rains.)

 

[ValleyviewRoost]

I just scattered some to see if they would eat it....I'll check fees when I get home....they also love going under the bird feeder...mostly hulled sunflower seeds.....it hasn't rained much but I rake up some of the leftover seeds so they don't get eaten after it rains......should I eliminate my wild bird feeder altogether. ? ....

 

[ValleyviewRoost]

Oh thanks a lot ...they are laying an egg a day and my isa brown had a rather large egg yesterday ...but not this morning...she had an average egg....I guess there getting all they need then.....when I'm not free ranging them I suppose they would eat more feed.....I'm just hoping there getting everything they need then

 

[gander007]

My chicken can have a full crop and still go for more !!!!!!!!

 

[centrarchid]

Steve, try putting some intact grains such as corn, oats and black oil sunflower seeds out for them. When free-range forage is exceptional which is most likely this time of year my birds will turn the noses up at the typical feeds but get excited by larger particulates.

 

[aoxa]

Mine don't eat all that much commercial feed this time of year. They forage for roughly 75% of their intake. They do get fermented feed as well, but they eat far less than they do at any other time of year.

As for feed going moldy and causing death.. How do you know that was the COD? Did you have a lot of it on the ground? I have been putting feed on the ground for years, and never had a death that I could relate to feed. It doesn't last once on the ground though. I can see a bunch of feed spilled on the ground that sits around causing problems, but a little sprinkled here and there is fine.