I have good results with this feeding regimen than any other. I used to free range my flock of hens in a yard with roosters on tie-cords (game chickens have to be separated.) and I'd only feed corn on the evening, after they've foraged. I wasn't getting good egg production. (Maybe two eggs a week from each hen.)
I'm not sure if my method is the correct method by standard, but a man told me to start a batch of soaked grain for them by mixing four parts water to one part Apple Cider vinegar, and if you have it, add a pinch of brewer's yeast. If using a five gallon bucket, I fill with scratch grain (though I prefer an even mix of whole corn and oats) halfway, fill with water up to about two thirds of the way through then I add about three and a half cups of ACV and stir well. I don't start to feed them this until it's soaked for at least 24hrs, but when I feed them, I mix those soaked grains with layer pellets for a half and half ratio of mushy feed. I feed out of that bucket of soaked grain all week before I run out, so I'm not sure how long you can let the grain sit before they are bad. Once a week, I'll add a handful of high protein dog food into the pellet portion, and soak the pellets in milk or water with red cell added for it to soak up. The only problem I have is that sometimes they get too much protein and their feathers curl a little from year to year, haven't had that problem this year though.
I've experienced good results, the hens lay about every other day, they tolerate molting better, cherry red heads and plump faces, and they seem to "blossom" or really feel good in my hand as far as growth. The scrawny ones even bulked up. We have an old pond that doesn't have fish anymore, but is overrun with snails. I drop a cabbage leaf in there abd by the next morning, It's covered in snails, the chickens love that too.
Oh, it may be a wives tale, but I've witnessed chickens benefiting from being kept near horses, they say something in the manure is good for chickens. I would assume bugs, but I don't know.
