I found a food they love, but not certain that's a good thing!

[VaticanChickens]

My gals are all free range birds. They have full run of our yard/compost pile and garden. Typically they eat very little of the grain I keep in their coop. I recently purchased a new brand (Brown's Layer Booster Feed), and they LOVE it. I mean... they are eating it like it's going out of style. I'm not certain if this is a good thing or not. It's not like there isn't loads of 'natural' things for them to eat out there - and I'd rather they do that.
So... the question is, do I stop filling their feed bin during the summer (I close the coop at night to deter skunks), or do I just let em have at it?
Thoughts? (5 chix - 2 reds, 2 orps and one ????)

 

[QueenMisha]

It's a complete layer feed? Not a scratch or grain?

That's the healthiest thing they could be eating. It should ideally comprise 80-90% of their diet. I wouldn't reocmmend restricting it at all unless it's poorly balanced.

 

[chickprincess10]

If they like it just let them continue to eat it, a layer booster mostly just has higher protein than most feeds if you have the other nutrients they need such as grass, fruit, and etc. then they will eat it as they need it. Hope this helps!!

 

[farmgirllvo]

If they are eating it they need it. My hens would go nuts if i let them have all the food they wanted, but in the summer they have lots of other food from outside they can eat so I limit their feed intake. But as long as you are ok with paying for the food they eat, let them have at it, its good for them.

 

[donrae]

How much are they eating? Are you positive they're eating it and not someone else, or wasting it?

I looked it up and it looks like regular layer. It's low protein, high calcium, looks like layer feed to me. I'm not sure why they'd eat more of it than whatever else you were feeding.

Re-reading your post, you were not feeding a feed before, just grain? I'm guessing they were lacking in nutrients. Grain is pretty low protein most of the time, and they could also be needing the calcium for egg shell production.