Greetings ... and a Question

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galathiel

galathiel

In the Brooder
Nov 30, 2021
3
37
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Hello there! I live in Texas and don't currently own any chickens. I do, however, have some questions about the neighbor's chickens. Yeah .. it's weird. I'm sorry if this gets long. Apparently, I like to ramble.

My neighbor has all kinds of animals, including chickens that, except for what are probably game cocks, are just free roaming and I'm not sure that they even put out feed at all for them. I know that during the summer the ones that roamed through my yard became pretty skinny and were all legs. These are a mishmash of chickens and I have no idea what they are ... I would assume bantams mixed with .. whatever. We had kept an eye on Mama (she had 5 chicks) as she roamed from the neighbor's, to my yard, to my family's yard that is next to mine. There are also a few singles that would come scratch in our yard as well. So, these chickens roam on about 3 or 4 acres of land between our three yards, making the rounds. We have quite a few leaves down on our property, so they love to scratch through them searching for bugs. I never saw them rest, sunbathe, or relax. They spent all their time looking for food.

Finally, I started filling my dog's outside water bowl for them (they drank and drank) and broke down and went and got food for them. I feed them once or twice a day, just what will fit in the little bowl I had handy in the shed. I went to a new feed store on my road and asked for chicken feed. They only had one type so I bought it. Well, now that I'm looking at it (it just didn't click at first ... I haven't had chickens in years), that this food doesn't look like FOOD. It looks more like scratch. The brand is Lone Star and the bag just says "Small Farm Animal Feed". Now, I can't find that online to check into it, but I know it's not pellets or crumbles.

Here's my question - is it okay to feed them this as I've been doing? These aren't my chickens (although they now alert each other when I step outside and come running), I don't have a pen for them or a place to keep food dry even if I did buy a feeder and actual pellets. Can I just feed them this and count it as a supplement to their diet, which it appears that they get all on their own? Any ideas?
 
I haven't spoken with them. I'm not sure what to think about chickens that are basically just out living their lives, roaming through the neighboring yards; the neighbors pay no attention to the chickens that are out running loose as though they aren't even there. Do they belong to them? I guess they probably did at some point ... are they now considered strays? It's a very strange situation.
 
It sounds to me like they are just letting their birds roam free. All chickens look for food constantly when they're out foraging so that behavior doesn't make me think they're being neglected. I would not feed them unless you talk to your neighbors. They might have food out for them but the chickens prefer to roam (which would also be totally normal). Mine roam all day then come have crumble before going into the coop. Definitely speak to your neighbors because there are a lot of assumptions going on here.
 

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