they'reHISchickens :
Call me stupid but shouldn't heritage chickens eat heritage food to be authentic? I mean, our forefathers didn't know about all this stuff and raised these breeds. I'd be afraid that giving them a *balanced* diet would ruin them! Feed them what they were developed for: Corn, wheat, oats, garden scraps, weeds...heritage food?
Yes, I know it sounds awful these days, but do you get my point?
That makes sense and I don't understand it, myself, why they need a better diet than production breeds. All my other heritage breeds (cows, pigs, sheep) do better on less or worse forage, compared to production breeds. Yet these chickens need more protein than others, plus more nutrients because they are breeding stock.
Part of the problem, I've been told, is that all the animal protein was taken out of commercial feeds. Chickens do need protein because they are omnivores.
Personally, I wanted a feed with healthier ingredients. Most feeds are mostly corn with fillers & additives. Then my egg customers want no soy, no corn, which makes it complicated.
Most barnyard chickens fed what they can scrounge are not well fed enough to be healthy breeding stock. I've tried feeding a mostly whole grain diet and sprouting grains for them and they did poorly. A necropsy revealed that the hen had the beginnings of fatty liver disease. So, I have to limit the grains & energy feeds and up the protein & balance the vitamins.
Thanks,
Kim
