Pellet vs Free Range/Foraging

[BigTex19]

They have pellets available always. I wonder if maybe the drought is causing issues by limiting what they can find to eat since so much of what they forage is dying (clover, native grasses, wild strawberry, etc - very limited this year). That's why I was planning to implement a fodder system soon.

This is giving me more to think about. I'll read and plan a but more. See if anything else jumps out at me.

We too have a bad drought here in NC that strongly cut down on my garden yield that I could fee my large flock. It and the very humid heat is stressing the chickens for sure.

 

[Silexian]

I think letting them out to forage around and have some variety in their diet. Is just as important and good for their mental well being. As it is for their physical health. My flocks still eat plenty of their balanced feed. Even though they are let out every afternoon/evening to forage for themselves. Plus it does me good to see them come running. When they see me picking berries, fruit or vegetables. Knowing that they are going to get the ones with imperfections.

 

[utefan47]

There is quite a controversial opinion on this topic.
Some say absolutely nothing should be fed to a chicken other than a complete and balanced diet. I agree with this, for the most part. As you know, anything bagged, dried, or sold as a chicken treat is no good. Its likely high in fat, with very little nutritional value. Causes fatty liver disease etc, you already know all of that.
But, I really think that greens, spouts, and anything green is very beneficial, and important in a chickens diet.
Chickens eat a diet mostly of grains. They're built for that, but it also means its low in antioxidants, and omega 3's are always helpful since grains are very very high in omega 6's, which create inflammation. Another touch on this, big brand chicken feeds can contain waste kitchen products. So basically whatever is leftover from grain based people food. This can be bread, baked goods, etc. That is going to be very high in omega 6's. There are lots of plants, such as hemp seeds, that have omega 3's. Antioxidants are very important since we all have free radicals, which creates oxidative stress, premature aging, cancer, and lots of other diseases. If you don't get antioxidants, you will succumb to those side affects. Thats why chickens should get lots of forage, fruits, and plants, especially laying hens who age so quickly.
For these reasons above, I think that greenery, forage, leafy greens, and non starchy vegetables and berries are incredibly important for chickens.


I think a fodder system is a great idea! Feeding additional things to chickens can be tricky. The problem with anything sold as a treat for chickens is that it has little to no nutritional value. There for it is only diluting the nutrients in a feed. When your taking leafy greens, forage, fodder, and especially micro greens, those foods are very high in nutrients, and very bioavailable as well. With that in mind, greens/forage shouldn't be diluting the diet to the point where it is causing harm. I personally think that it is doing so so much more good than harm.

As you know, my opinion is likely going to be different than others opinions. I do a lot of research on natural nutrition for my dogs, and a lot of it is linked since you feed dogs chicken. You are what you eat when it comes to nutrition, so a poorly fed chicken that you feed to a dog is going to be a poorly fed dog. Because of that I do a lot of research regarding poultry nutrition as well. I'm fairly confident in my opinion.
Oregano is a fantastic immune booster, along with Echinacea, lemon balm, high quality probiotics, ginger, and most all other herbs.

This sounds good. In what form are you getting these herbs and probiotics to the chicken and how often? My chickens are at the 20 week mark and several have weak shells (I supplement true oyster shell) and the yolks aren't a bright orange like I'd like them to be. Still getting pulled size eggs. They eat organic scratch and peck brand. No treats.

 

[3KillerBs]

They eat organic scratch and peck brand.

Welcome to BYC.

If you put your general location into your profile people can give better-targeted advice when you ask questions.

If you're using the Scratch and Peck whole-grain feed it's important to note that several members here have had significant problems with that feed.

What happens is that the top hens pick out the best chicken candy and miss the balanced nutrition that way while the low-ranked hens have to eat the reject portions and miss the balanced nutrition that way.

That feed is best served fermented, or, at least, wet, so that it's hard for the birds to pick out their favorite parts and so that the vitamin powders are well mixed in and can't be rejected.

 

[Weeg]

This sounds good. In what form are you getting these herbs and probiotics to the chicken and how often? My chickens are at the 20 week mark and several have weak shells (I supplement true oyster shell) and the yolks aren't a bright orange like I'd like them to be. Still getting pulled size eggs. They eat organic scratch and peck brand. No treats.

I like to mix dried herbs into their feed, and feed them fresh plants and herbs from my garden. For dried herbs, I like to use the blends I have on my Etsy shop. I have an Etsy shop for chicken treats and herbal blends, my flock is my panel of official taste testers.
For your soft shells, that’s probably just a kink they’re working out since they’re new layers. I’m sure they’ll firm up in time.
Got bright yolk, forage variety is key. I do have a blend on Etsy that is specifically for eggs. My Egg Enhancer blend.
For probiotics, I ferment my feed, which is key for Scratch and Peck. For S&P you have to soak or ferment it. Otherwise the chickens pick out their favorite grains and kick the rest on the ground. Then there’s lots of waste, and they do t get the nutrients they need.

 

[Weeg]

Welcome to BYC.

If you put your general location into your profile people can give better-targeted advice when you ask questions.

If you're using the Scratch and Peck whole-grain feed it's important to note that several members here have had significant problems with that feed.

What happens is that the top hens pick out the best chicken candy and miss the balanced nutrition that way while the low-ranked hens have to eat the reject portions and miss the balanced nutrition that way.

That feed is best served fermented, or, at least, wet, so that it's hard for the birds to pick out their favorite parts and so that the vitamin powders are well mixed in and can't be rejected.

Yep, I haven’t had any issues with fermented S&P, though it definitely does need to be soaked one way or another.
Unless your feeding ducks, they don’t pick through it.

 

[Black star night]

I'm currently trying to boost my flock's health after a bout of problems.

They currently get All Flock pellets with oyster shell on the side. I rarely give treats (maybe, like, 2x or 3x in the summer to combat heat - that's it). Fresh water daily. Spot clean coop daily, full clean weekly.

So I've been reading a lot about diet. I'm seeing some conflicting info. Of course balanced commercial feed is good, but what about free ranging/foraging? Is that overall detrimental to their health since it isn't balanced commercial feed?

I was thinking about starting a fodder system, but don't want to detract from a balanced diet. I also allow my birds to forage in the pasture daily, and I'm wondering if that's diluting their nutrient intake.

It seems counterintuitive to think that free ranging could be bad for them, but I've read several blogs/articles and a lot of BYC posts suggesting that anything other than pellets (i.e. letting them free range/forage) is bad for them. It's been suggested to me that I should stop letting them consume anything other than pellets, and I'm wondering if that might be better given that these birds are essentially laying machines...

Thoughts?

I have a different spin on this.

Foul do not norms eat grains and they do not eat balanced diets in the wild. God did not make them (or us) broken

Mine free range as much as possible and I put Grubblies in there feeder in case I could not let them out long enough

 

[Alagirl]

Or maybe I'm just driving myself crazy over unrelated incidents.

well, what you are looking into does not sound like it would be bad for your birds.

I simply think that your number was up for some bad stuff to happen.
I have seen that a few times, people have years of animal ownership, and nothing happens and suddenly, no changes, things go sideways.
I am thinking about a Japanese philosophy about eating a balanced diet: Not every meal has to include everything, but over the course of the day/week/months everything should be served.
The same I think holds true for animals.

 

[Weeg]

I am thinking about a Japanese philosophy about eating a balanced diet: Not every meal has to include everything, but over the course of the day/week/months everything should be served.
The same I think holds true for animals.

This ^^
I've fed my dogs a raw diet for years now and it applies to them too. Sometimes I run out of the balanced raw food I have and have to makeshift for a few days, or a week. As long as I offer the balanced food back in in a reasonable amount of time, they do just fine and have no issues. They're thriving. I agree with everything that was stated in @Alagirl's post.

 

[raingarden]

Foul do not norms eat grains and they do not eat balanced diets in the wild. God did not make them (or us) broken

.... unless we broke them, Perhaps we need to ask if our selection made it impossible for them to live like their wild jungle fowl ancestors. Maybe they're not fast enough or maybe their nutritional needs are different because of their breeding or maybe they do not have the cultural heritage that a wild hen passes to her brood.