Pellet vs Free Range/Foraging

[Florida Bullfrog]

I went on safari looking for a particular small cockerel this evening among the blueberry fields and took some pics that are illustrative of the habitat the rows provide.

Free range gamefowl love "fence-line" habitat. The sort of rows created when fences get overgrown with trees and bushes. Its a natural edge habitat that gives them cover and food. My blueberry rows match fence line overgrowth.

 

[seminolewind]

My chickens have always free ranged/have pellets. All flock is great . The free ranging does cut into the protein. So I supplement them with those freeze dried (meal worms?) They are almost 50% protein. I give them as a treat about every 2 weeks. I supplement calcium. All Flock is great. As for egg production and quality, a good amount of that is genetics too.

 

[Shadrach]

https://books.google.com/books?id=POVaAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:"Herbert+Atkinson"&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&ovdme=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiXs7mF_Z35AhXUsYQIHSagC8sQ6wF6BAgIEAU#v=onepage&q&f=false

There’s one I have on hand and I’ll pull some more this evening. This one doesn’t got into detail on specifically winter raising but it more generally talks about them taking care of themselves in chapter 6 via foraging.

Interesting read.

 

[Wot The Flock]

Well, that thread was certainly a can of worms!

FWIW, my girls get the mix, a 'complete' poultry mix (seed mix, I think in the US you call it scratch?), free ranging, some scraps, and I have introduced layer pellets as well. Also free choice oyster shell. I think I am backing it all ways!

It does vary by season, I have to limit their free ranging in the winter when more foxes are about. My eldest is 9yo. I live in farmland, but small acreage, in Australia. Soil is fairly poor.

They also manage to catch the odd mouse (and manage to swallow them), but they love baby mice (easy to swallow). I call them 'moysters' because the girls swallow them down like that.

I am not so sure 'they know what is good for them'. Given, I have to cover my glass if I sit out with them with a glass of wine or beer.