Grain-free chickens?

[1birdlady]

Olive Hill...that's an interesting setup you have.

How are the chickens protected from predators?

 

[Olive Hill]

They're not.

Aside from their own instinct and natural "hiding" places, that is. At night they sleep in a locked coop, during the day they're free to come and go as they please -- and so are predators.

 

[tasymo]

I've watched my Girls deliberately step on grass stalks to bring the seed heads down to where they can reach them. Wheat, oats, rye, and even corn are all types of grass and the grain is the seed heads. Yes, chickens do naturally eat grain if it is available, but they eat all kinds of other things as well. Give them access to a wide variety of food stuff and they will be healthy. Feeding them exclusively one thing can't be healthy.

 

[trivia]

Hi! Could someone who's raising meat chickens grain-free describe how and if they adjust their flock seasonally?

Do you order new pullets in the spring to put them on pasture, then cull them all when fall comes and do the same next year? Or do you keep a number of layers over winter and let them brood in one of the spring months?

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
I seriously doubt it is possible with the Cornish X commercial broiler, if that is what you mean by meat chickens. Maybe that is why Salatin isn't able to do it, since that is what he raises, even though he has great pasture.

I'm very intrigued by this thread and plan to research this more. It would be nice to raise my chickens without commercial grain for even part of the year. Maybe my standard Cornish could do it.

 

[oberhaslikid]

Quote:
My Exs aunt is like this she got chickens from me and had to clean them up. I ask why and she said she couldnt eat the eggs if they were on any kind of grain feed. She was allergic.

 

[littlelemon]

My good friend took her hens off of their feed this past fall, and they are doing just fine. They are totally free-range, and they spend a lot of time ranging through the cow pastures and maybe get some grain from the manure (though I do not think she feeds the cows any grain). I don't know if their production is as high as it was when they were on feed, but the hens are still laying and they look good. I am one of those people with the acre fenced yard, but if you have the right kind of property-one that is large and offers good biodiversity, and you have a temperate climate, I can see how the chickens could completely forage for themselves.

 

[Organics North]

Sure I suppose a temperate climate with LOTS of good ground. (Thinking like a 1/4+ acer per chicken) They can find enough natural grains/seeds, bugs and a little grass to eat. I suspect free rangers are mostly eating bugs. I do feel a farm with other animals is a traditional and good way to free range. Even at that I suspect some "help" might be needed in a deep winter climate.

I personally don't mind some grains, just apposed to commercial mixes and certain kinds of grains. Heck, does one consider clover or alfalfa seed a grain? How about sprouted grains (Not a grain anymore?) other seeds such as BOSS have good protein. Quinoa is not really a grain it is a pseudo cereal. Bugs and meat they are not grains. Lots of ways I can think of to supplement free range and still not be feeding "grains"
I think one needs to be sure of a diversified source foods, I just can not believe grass only for a fast growing meat chicken, or for that matter any chicken.

ON

 

[Wifezilla]

Exactly...it is the bugs that are giving them a lot of nutrition, not so much the grass.

My quail wont touch greens, but put a meal worm in their pen and all heeeellllllll breaks lose!

 

[saywhatchickenbutt]

We have 5 acres, but it is mostly forested. I'd say we have 1 acres grass (though we have to keep it cut for the neighbors). So, the rough estimate of chickens I can free range would be 3 or 4, that is to say if I want them to be mostly grass/bug fed?