greens seem really important part of diet

[centrarchid]

My free range birds (juveniles and adults) consume at best only a third the amount of pelleted feed during summer as during winter. They seem to eat a very large amount of green plant material and will not consume more pellets even when offered. Feces produced is large in volume with lots of plant material in it. Growth is very good. I am surprized at how much plant material is consumed. They will not pass up insects.

 

[OwensMom]

I have 2 flocks at present. One flock is on lush pasture and in horse dry lot. They pass up the treats (yogurt, cottage cheese etc) that the second flock devours. They second flock is in a very large with green grass. They cannot get enough treats which include mealworms. I agree that pasture is far superior to other feeds.

 

[KenK]

My flock is so small at this point I can't risk letting them free range. It pains me though because they are sticking their heads through the fence to crop what grass they can reach. I've been supplementing their feed with sunflower sprouts which they eat with relish.

 

[centrarchid]

Plants my birds seem to concentrate on are forbs, mostly legumes (clovers). They do consume some grasses but only the most tender peices.

 

[welasharon]

There is a feral rooster that has taken up here with my hens. He will not touch the crumbles and he shows them how to reach through the pickets on the fence to get to the grass. I have to watch him. One day I went out to put them up and he had three of them leading them off across the yard.
sharon