Keeping Chickens Free Range

[jenniferlamar70]

The guy said his chickens are finding food and show good conditioning, so I'm thinking they are fine.  

Everyone always posts words of warning to people when they discuss feeding chickens on forage and food scraps, like those are toxic waste that can't provide for a chicken's needs, but that's exactly what chickens have been fed on for thousands of years and yet we still have chickens here today, one of the most plentiful food animals on the planet~be they in the US being fed up on bagged feeds or in a third world country eating free range and food scraps they find. 

My grandma never bought chicken food in her life, feeding her free ranged flock on a few handfuls of field corn and whatever scraps they didn't feed to the hogs.  Her chickens were healthy, productive and just fine all those years...not the nutritionally poor or overly fat or starving chickens you depict. 

If the guy says his chickens are in good condition on free range and scraps, I'd say he's doing something right....while all the folks pouring money down the toilet on chicken feed are a lap or so behind on the learning curve. 

My grandma was told bottle feeding with formula and bottles was healthier then breastmilk. My grandma was also told cigarettes have no I'll effect. If we aren't open to learning new things we will be stunted forever. People wouldn't treat their dogs that way and they used to also be wild. These are domesticated animals under our care. If people font want to follow basic care for their animals that's their choice. I'm only responsible for my own chickens the same as the rest of us. But ignorance is bliss and just because it's easier and cheaper to not care and just throw whatever out doesn't mean it's best for the chickens it's just best for the people..

 

[AmandaMBG]

I think both of you are right in a way and it's just up to us to make our own decisions about our flocks. What applies to me (being in a desert environment with very little for them to free range off of and easy visibility for the various prey birds) may not apply to someone who lives in say western Washington where there is good forage year round and no lack of wild food to keep predators satiated.

My grandma was told bottle feeding with formula and bottles was healthier then breastmilk. My grandma was also told cigarettes have no I'll effect. If we aren't open to learning new things we will be stunted forever. People wouldn't treat their dogs that way and they used to also be wild. These are domesticated animals under our care. If people font want to follow basic care for their animals that's their choice. I'm only responsible for my own chickens the same as the rest of us. But ignorance is bliss and just because it's easier and cheaper to not care and just throw whatever out doesn't mean it's best for the chickens it's just best for the people..

 

[jenniferlamar70]

I think both of you are right in a way and it's just up to us to make our own decisions about our flocks. What applies to me (being in a desert environment with very little for them to free range off of and easy visibility for the various prey birds) may not apply to someone who lives in say western Washington where there is good forage year round and no lack of wild food to keep predators satiated.

I agree with this.

 

[Beekissed]

My grandma was told bottle feeding with formula and bottles was healthier then breastmilk. My grandma was also told cigarettes have no I'll effect. If we aren't open to learning new things we will be stunted forever. People wouldn't treat their dogs that way and they used to also be wild. These are domesticated animals under our care. If people font want to follow basic care for their animals that's their choice. I'm only responsible for my own chickens the same as the rest of us. But ignorance is bliss and just because it's easier and cheaper to not care and just throw whatever out doesn't mean it's best for the chickens it's just best for the people..

If your grandma believed that, it's her own fault.

Just because it's new information doesn't always make it sound....formula for babies was "new" information, not old. So the "new" information we hold today may not be all it's cracked up to be either. The food that comes natural to any species is what's always best for that species, be it human or animal....always has been and always will be.

I don't find it to be neglectful or ignorant to expect chickens to live on naturally found, foraged food as their primary source of food, it's actually harder to arrange for that to be done well and safely than it is to buy a bag of feed and empty it into a feeder. That's the basis of this whole thread...free range and how to do it well so that the chickens live a healthier, better existence.

What you consider "basic care" many don't even consider as adequate care...there's no WAY I'd just feed chickens bagged feed and oyster shells and consider it good or healthy for their lives. It's what you give if you can't get anything better and can't free range.

So, you see, there are many ways to view and do what's "best" for our animals and calling it "ignorance is bliss" or "easier or cheaper to not care and just throw out whatever" is rather demeaning speech.....one could possibly feel like buying the so called nutritionally sound bagged feeds and emptying it into a large feeder as "ignorance, easier and cheaper and not caring, just throwing out whatever".

The man shouldn't have to be attacked about his free range and feeding practices just because some folks don't agree with it. Some agree readily with it and applaud his experiment. Each person has to learn for themselves what works in their area.

 

[lcertuche]

My chickens have always been healthy and strong. My girls laid all winter and hatched chicks all summer, of course they were game hens! My birds range over my three acres and into the neighboring woods, the girls range farther than the boys. The pullets I have now aren't laying yet but in the past the shells were hard. Beekissed is right about greens having a lot of calcium. I also like to give my birds beans when I cook them which is often. I watch my birds grabbing the seeds off the grass heads. Also, there isn't a day that goes by I don't see them with a frog, mouse, lizard, or bugs. I know they are healthy. Do they act hungry. Yes, whether they have grain, feed, or nothing but free ranging. They are always looking for food because that is their nature. Most animals have a feast or famine mentality. EAT, EAT, EAT instinct because the food may not be there tomorrow.

It has been hinted at before that birds that free range cannot be safe or healthy but that has not been the case. Most of my bird deaths have been accidental, like my son setting a cage on one of the little birds, or a raccoon pulling a chicken near the edge of the cage (from outside) and biting its head off, larger birds landing on the smaller ones when they came off their roost. The problem is that everyone thinks their way is best, which I'm sure it is for them in their situation. All my birds but one little mixed breed won blue ribbons at the fair. Of course I know that is subjective but that's my story and I'm sticking to it, lol.

 

[Beekissed]

Same here. I'd put the health of my flocks and the nutritional aspects of their care and the eggs they produce up against anyone on this forum without any qualms and their primary food source is to be found right out there on range, with all the food scraps I can produce here, with formulated feeds coming in as merely supplement to all of that. A token nod to "chicken food", though there are some seasons they barely even eat any of it.

Like now, for instance...fall forage is the best. I'm getting 7 eggs per day from 9 hens who are all in the middle of molting...and those eggshells are as hard as diamonds.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

If your grandma believed that, it's her own fault.    Just because it's new information doesn't always make it sound....formula for babies was "new" information, not old.  So the "new" information we hold today may not be all it's cracked up to be either.  The food that comes natural to any species is what's always best for that species, be it human or animal....always has been and always will be. 

I don't find it to be neglectful or ignorant to expect chickens to live on naturally found, foraged food as their primary source of food, it's actually harder to arrange for that to be done well and safely than it is to buy a bag of feed and empty it into a feeder.   That's the basis of this whole thread...free range and how to do it well so that the chickens live a healthier, better existence. 

What you consider "basic care" many don't even consider as adequate care...there's no WAY I'd just feed chickens bagged feed and oyster shells and consider it good or healthy for their lives.  It's what you give if you can't get anything better and can't free range. 

So, you see, there are many ways to view and do what's "best" for our animals and calling it "ignorance is bliss" or "easier or cheaper to not care and just throw out whatever" is rather demeaning speech.....one could possibly feel like buying the so called nutritionally sound bagged feeds and emptying it into a large feeder as "ignorance, easier and cheaper and not caring, just throwing out whatever". 

The man shouldn't have to be attacked about his free range and feeding practices just because some folks don't agree with it.  Some agree readily with it and applaud his experiment.  Each person has to learn for themselves what works in their area. 

You always take what you want from what I say and ignore everything else. From now on let's just agree to ignore each other. We don't ever agree on anything and I get tired of constantly arguing with you.

 

[maryann momhen]

Actually, most greens have WAY more calcium than any layer ration has.  Clover alone has 10% calcium on average, with a low around 5-6% and a high of around 12-13%, whereas the typical layer ration has a mere 4%...most typical yard have a good deal of white clover.  Green forage can provide way more calcium than a chicken will need for laying....I don't provide oyster shells no matter the season.  I just use layer mash for a supplemental feed, so most of their protein and calcium needs are provided for out on the land. 

My egg shells are so hard on forage/free range that I have difficulty cracking them.  I can throw an egg across the yard and it will bounce when it lands. 

Beekissed, you're absolutely right. I'm not sure about the greens that are around this time of year, but the clover is only abundant in spring in NJ. So mine eat alot of grass and random weeds. And grass seed when my husband let's it grow high. I just know that when I give too many kitchen scraps and they aren't eating as much pellets their eggs aren't quite as hard.

 

[lazy gardener]

Actually, most greens have WAY more calcium than any layer ration has. Clover alone has 10% calcium on average, with a low around 5-6% and a high of around 12-13%, whereas the typical layer ration has a mere 4%...most typical yard have a good deal of white clover. Green forage can provide way more calcium than a chicken will need for laying....I don't provide oyster shells no matter the season. I just use layer mash for a supplemental feed, so most of their protein and calcium needs are provided for out on the land.

My egg shells are so hard on forage/free range that I have difficulty cracking them. I can throw an egg across the yard and it will bounce when it lands.

I had to keep my flock penned a good part of the summer, only letting them out to range when I could supervise due to constant hawk predation. Some weeks, they would only get out for a couple of hours total. Hawk predation has recently diminished, so they are able to get out to range almost all of almost every day. I have noticed a huge improvement in shell quality. This: comparing a diet based mostly on FF with weeds and grass clippings tossed into the run to free range diet: FF left in bowl, with them consuming about 1/3 of that, with the remainder of their diet made up by foraged goodies. I consider the free range diet to be far superior. Granted, I do offer FF, even if they free range all day every day, but the bag of feed lasts much, much longer, this being the chicken's choice!

My grandma was told bottle feeding with formula and bottles was healthier then breastmilk. My grandma was also told cigarettes have no I'll effect. If we aren't open to learning new things we will be stunted forever. People wouldn't treat their dogs that way and they used to also be wild. These are domesticated animals under our care. If people font want to follow basic care for their animals that's their choice. I'm only responsible for my own chickens the same as the rest of us. But ignorance is bliss and just because it's easier and cheaper to not care and just throw whatever out doesn't mean it's best for the chickens it's just best for the people..

Basic care is extremely subjective. Basic dog care provided by the city dweller involves piddle pads, living an indoor life, for the most part, rarely getting out into the sunlight, rarely getting to romp in green grass. Is that adequate? I consider it to be bordering on abuse. Again, this is subjective. I'd never consider raising a dog under those conditions, let alone living in the city myself. Same with chickens. Some consider their birds to be living the good life if they are living in a little doll house pre fab coop with minimal space in coop and run. Others provide a larger run, and coop, but the run is a bare moon scape: stinky mud when wet, dust bowl when dry. I also consider that to be sub standard. Am I being arrogant? Probably. But, I simply have different standards, am blessed to have more space to work with, and work hard at keeping a deep litter in my run. My husbandry methods are different. But, I try very hard to not criticize others in their husbandry methods unless it is evident that their animals are suffering because of those methods. Allowing birds to live naturally and glean from a well established habitat is not "blissful ignorance". Nor is it a matter of not caring or just throwing what ever out for them to eat. Nor is it only best for the owner, but... subjectively speaking, it is best for the chickens as well.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

I had to keep my flock penned a good part of the summer, only letting them out to range when I could supervise due to constant hawk predation.  Some weeks, they would only get out for a couple of hours total.  Hawk predation has recently diminished, so they are able to get out to range almost all of almost every day.  I have noticed a huge improvement in shell quality.  This:  comparing a diet based mostly on FF with weeds and grass clippings tossed into the run to free range diet:  FF left in bowl, with them consuming about 1/3 of that, with the remainder of their diet made up by foraged goodies.  I consider the free range diet to be far superior.  Granted, I do offer FF, even if they free range all day every day, but the bag of feed lasts much, much longer, this being the chicken's choice! 

Basic care is extremely subjective.  Basic dog care provided by the city dweller involves piddle pads, living an indoor life, for the most part, rarely getting out into the sunlight, rarely getting to romp in green grass.  Is that adequate?  I consider it to be bordering on abuse.    Again, this is subjective.  I'd never consider raising a dog under those conditions, let alone living in the city myself.  Same with chickens.  Some consider their birds to be living the good life if they are living in a little doll house pre fab coop with minimal space in coop and run.  Others provide a larger run, and coop, but the run is a bare moon scape:  stinky mud when wet, dust bowl when dry.  I also consider that to be sub standard.  Am I being arrogant?  Probably.  But, I simply have different standards, am blessed to have more space to work with, and work hard at keeping a deep litter in my run.  My husbandry methods are different.  But, I try very hard to not criticize others in their husbandry methods unless it is evident that their animals are suffering because of those methods.  Allowing birds to live naturally and glean from a well established habitat is not "blissful ignorance".  Nor is it a matter of not caring or just throwing what ever out for them to eat.  Nor is it only best for the owner, but... subjectively speaking, it is best for the chickens as well.

I agree with most what you say. Beekissed and I are constantly not getting along and it grades my nerves so I apologize if my tone sounds belittling. It's not. I never once said that's free ranging can't be adequate I said his birds sounded like they weren't getting enough nutrients. I also free range but I make sure I ad least offer a small portion of feed to make sure they are getting what they need. I also live somewhere where we are in a drought so not much to find here at the moment. As I pointed out in several previous post you can't just throw your birds out and hope they are getting what they need. Learning as much as you can is important. Location is also important and a ton of other factors. I think following the chickens cues are also important. Birds are fat and not eating feed most likely they are gorging on scraps and whatever else they can find but it's not always healthy. I would never keep my dogs locked in a small apartment all day or anything such. I think of all my animals as a giant responsibility that I take very seriously. I mean they are living creatures. I never said they can't get nutrients from other places. We are vegetarians so I think I'm more then capable of know plant based diets value even for animals. But I still think there are so many other factors that you can't just throw them out there and hope. That's my point...