Getting enough from foraging?

[Li'lFlock]

The garden areas are nearly dead. Though we still have a good bit of green weeds and grass. Not as many visible flying insects. So I’m wondering if the girls are getting most of their nutrition from scratching up bugs digging in for the winter? I notice this weekend, they had more time out to run around, as I took an extra day off of work for an appointment, and they seem to have eaten less of their food.

I’m not on a big property at all. But I do let some things go crazy and encourage beneficial insect habitats. One of my girls Has become a preying mantis hunting expert and I saw she still managed to find one yesterday.

They don’t act super hungry. I’ve always let them have free access to food. Still laying, looking and acting ok. As this is my first year with them, wondering if others have seen this sort of thing around this time of year?

 

[Folly's place]

My birds are busy foraging, and after the rain we had recently, finding worms and bugs in the ground, and still some green stuff. They are eating a bit more feed, although I don't measure it; just an impression. Also, this year's chicks are growing, so eating more too. When there's snow cover and frozen ground, they will definitely eat more feed! Mary

 

[centrarchid]

Most of my assessment of free-range forage quality is based on crop fill when they first go to roost and how far they range from roost during coarse of day. Not seeing insects flying does not mean they are not abundant. Rather most will be hunkered down on ground in leaf matter or in high grass. As it gets colder and birds pick over a given area repeatedly, the insects will be depleted. Having heavier vegetated spaces good as insects will concentrate in those areas to try and get through winter. Many insects like spots that warm up quickly in the sun.

When it gets cold, the chickens energy requirement shoots up. That can cause them to forage harder as well.

 

[Li'lFlock]

I think that’s what they’re doing. Their favorite area to concentrate on has been the south facing side of my house. I have a mini vegetation forests dying down there. Sunchokes, vines, invasive perennials and invasive anuals. Stink bugs, lady bugs, mantis, and snakes love that side of my house too. Hoping the girls are gorging on them

 

[centrarchid]

You can enhance forage based by piling leaves into a compost heap and mixing in a little grain such as corn, oats, barley and BOSS. Birds will thus have additional justification for bioturbating it which also helps with aeration. If you burn, do it later so you do not take forage quality out too soon.

 

[Li'lFlock]

You can enhance forage based by piling leaves into a compost heap and mixing in a little grain such as corn, oats, barley and BOSS. Birds will thus have additional justification for bioturbating it which also helps with aeration. If you burn, do it later so you do not take forage quality out too soon.

Thanks for the suggestion! I was going to turn the raised potato bed into a nice sized compost heap this winter. I tried that building up with straw method for the taters and now have a bunch of old straw sitting there. Was just going to start adding to it. And the girls were already drawn to scratching at it.

 

[centrarchid]

Wheat straw may not be the best for compost bed where you want productivity directed towards chickens. Consider mixing something else in that lacks the toxins. Toxins of concern to me hurt the invertebrates you want the chickens to eat.