Grass fed of not?

[willowbranchfarm]

Some people think that grass fed chickens are the best and others just feed them grain. What do you think? I like grass fed.

 

[goldies99]

i think they need the grain along with the grass!!!.what about winter???...are you in a location that always has grass??

 

[willowbranchfarm]

In winter yes they will need the grain cause we get snow some time's in the winter, but if it doesn't snow then I don't know if the grass will be alive in the cold weather.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Remember also that a chicken craves meat. We tend to substitute that need for protein with a soybean or Black Oil Sunflower Seed in our prepared feed mixtures, but still, they need more than grass. They need the insects (meat) and worms (meat) that they find in that grass. For much of the year, such meat sources are not available to them.

 

[Tracydr]

Chickens are not cows. They like some grass but can't survive on just grass.

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Yeah I meant the bugs in the grass.

 

[Illia]

I think the real question here is free range vs stuck in a dirt run.

I feed mine grains, but they also get a 3 acre pasture filled with bugs, shrubs, berries, trees, etc. They also get leftover produce from the garden, too.

And yes, it is healthier. Makes the eggs taste MUCH better too.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I like to feed a balanced diet, plus let them free range for green feed and bugs. I think they're a lot healthier and lay better tasting eggs that are more nutritious that way. They eat grass, clover, alfalfa, lots of dark leafy greens, fruits and vegetables while foraging, as well as the insects and worms they find.

In the winter when the land is covered in snow, I add wheat grass, alfalfa and other sprouts to their diet. On just commercial feed, they're ravenous for the first grass of spring.

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Yes thats exacly what I meant thank you.