How much to feed free range layers

[Couture Family]

Hi, we are new chicken parents so there is a lot of language used on the site that we are still learning. I was wondering when you say you use spokes to avoid billing out of the feeder you mean so they wont use their beaks to pull the food out right? (please forgive me if it is a silly question). Also what are the spokes that you use and where may they be found? My girls pull out the parts of the feed that they don't like and it is very costly since I am using all organic for their feed. They do go out in the day till time for bed almost so they can dig and pick in the grass.

They are still rather small (they are almost 10 weeks) so they are in a chicken tractor. I dig worms out of the garden and throw them in there in case they don't find many on their own. I also give them things like pumpkin, and frozen bananas & pineapples since we live here in Tampa (its still rather hot even now). So I was also wondering if I am feeding them enough since they always seem hungry. They will just now be going outside in their coop this week (we built the coop after getting the chicks). So I'm not sure if they need food in the coop at night or only in the run?

Also runny, smelly poop? Should I be worried? When they were little girls their poop hardly had a smell at all nor was it ever really runny. Now its mostly runny and smells horrid. They are fine other wise. They eat fine, they talk A LOT, they run around, and they even like to ride on my dogs backs So I'm not sure if I should worry. They have had the bad poop for weeks now so I don't think they are sick. I looked at the poop chart and I hope to never do that again. My own girls is one thing but the chart was crazy. I'm just afraid that the smell will be too much for the neighbors. We live in the city and although we are allowed to have chickens I'm still a bit concerned. Also will the smelly poop attract possums and racoons? The coop is so solid we are thinking of using it as a hurricane shelter in a pinch so I'm not worried anything can get into it I'm more worried that wild animals may just hang around.

Also my girls are not at all interested in any green treats. No herbs, no lettuce, no spinach, or broccoli, will that pass? The only greens they eat right now is what they find in the grass. Also we do not give them grit. Is that ok? Are they getting what they need from the dirt I throw in when I give them worms from the garden?

Another question (and I know I have a lot of them) is the dirt bath we put in for them to roll around in they seem to be eating it? We put DE in with it for the fleas so I'm not sure if they are eating that or if they are eating the dirt? They also seem to like the wood shavings in their brood. At first I didn't think they were really eating it but yeah they really are. I don't know if that's bad or not. I have no idea why they eat it since they always have food. We are going to use sand when they go outside so that wont be a problem.

Any who, I think that's all my questions. I have really loved reading all the comments on byc it is such a help. So thank you to every one who takes time to post and answer questions for new parents like us. I'm sure I will have lots more questions in the near future

 

[bbishop]

I don't feed my flock that much in free ranging because of all the bugs and range grass lands probably a scoop a day but in winter 2 scoops a day

 

[RoosterThigh]

I don't keep feed out all the time or my chickens just hang out under the trees and around the coop all day and don't do what chickens are supposed to do. I will throw them a handful of scratch and will feed them at night or in spring and summer every other night before they go to roost. When I do it this way then they go out and forage, if I free feed them they barely get out 30 feet from their coop. They do just fine and I'm always getting eggs.

 

[MQjewell]

so your chickens will prefer free ranges to feed? I hae a dozen chickens in an area they can free range of about (just guessing) a square of 20 yards X 20 yards (not sure about this...it's equal to a generous fenced in area around a 12.5 foot long pool( not sure I've even got that right) (8 foot deep)--gives you are VERY rough idea....lots of grass where the birds are.

 

[JulieinMoab]

Hi everyone, I appreciate this topic and all the info on it. I searched it out wondering if I was being economical with the feeding. We had a horrible grasshopper infestation here recently and I decided to stop providing the layena pellets my 6 RIR girls are accustomed to getting to encourage more grasshopper eating. They did their job and much of the grasshopper infestation is down and now I'm back to providing them free feed pellets from a hanging feeder in their coop. They are my sweet girls, so I still gave them a treat when I went out in the morning to let them out, just a little to say hello and show my love for them. They've dug a little deeper in the compost the past few weeks and roamed a little farther and overall maybe skipped an egg or two, but it was worth the diet to me to make sure they focused on chasing down and eating grasshoppers. Now, back to the free feed. Regarding the grit...yes, your chix need grit to digest and be healthy. If they aren't free ranging in places where there are little pebbles and such, you need to give them a pinch or so every day if they are cooped up. Give them back some crushed egg shells is easy to do. Google that. Some folks sanitize in the oven first. I just throw my egg shells in the compost where the girls are anyway. Predators make all the difference on where the chickens are ranging and what they are eating, so accommodate as needed to keep them healthy and happy.

 

[ske1806]

Hi I have a large flock aged 2months to 3 years. We have a huge property with woods, meadows, large compost, you nAme it. Due to feed costs and to encourage a healthy diet, I stopped free feeding and now feed them twice a day, but it's a mad house. Chicks act like they are starving, dive bombing the hanging feeders and egg production is down. So will they get used to free range eating and start producing normally again, or do they NEED feed to produce regular eggs?

 

[Anuthatch]

HI,

Adding my 2 cents. I have 4 hens that are just over a year old. They are all free ranging over diverse 5 acres; give or take.

I might be dreaming but what makes a huge difference in the amount of commercial feed is the access to water. I've put 3 water stations around the property and the hens rarely return to the coop area where the feeder is unless it's egg or roost time. They drink water out and about and have their dust bath and napping spots. The water dishes are simple things like an overturned Frisbee, old cat food bowl, etc. Easy stuff and they definitely drink from these.

I'm amazed at how little they are eating from the feeders compared to winter. I don't keep track but I also can't remember when I bought food last. Sometimes if they follow me to the coop when I'm cleaning or getting eggs and they "discover" the pellets and peck away. I sometimes wonder if the chickens or the wild birds are eating the food because it goes so slowly.
They do get a handful or two of oats and a handful of BOSS every day. They have trained us to reward their begging.

 

[redsix]

I wouldn't put my feeders out in the pasture. I would leave them in the chicken house. They will eat in the morning before they are let out. Eat again if they come in to lay and eat again when they come in to roost. Birds and rodents will get the feed if left out. Water is the only thing I would leave outside for them.

 

[EileenC]

My friend and I share a flock of different variety of chickens, 2 ducks and 2 turkeys. We free range them plus we throw enough of the crumbles for egg layers once a day (in the morning) for them to munch on. We also get pulled produce from the local grocery store, which they eat most of it. There are a few things they don't like but will eat the majority of the produce we throw out to them. Since we have horses, there are plenty of bugs for them to eat too.

 

[FrogTacos]

How tall is the grass in your pasture? My chickens rarely go into the grassy areas that are higher than they are. I mowed paths for them when they were smaller, my horse keeps a lot of their area pretty short, and now they have worn some of their own paths.
Mine will follow me anywhere when I'm carrying their breakfast bucket, you can carry it a bit further out of their comfort zone before sprinkling it out for them. The majority of my birds are almost 3 months old, they are slowing expanding their own comfort zone. My adults venture far and wide.

With that being said....
I keep a feeder with crumbles for my 3 tiny babies free choice. At current rate a 50lb bag will last a month, if not longer, the bigger ones eat from it too. I also sprinkle out 3 scoops (plastic dog food scoop from Walmart) of feather fixer feed on the ground out in front of the barn every morning. They want something else to they go get it! They actually don't eat much of the feed before going out to forage.

Total of 30 birds.

EDIT - the only reason I'm feeding at all is because they are still young growers.