sticking to free range & avoiding laying feed

[ChickenCanoe]

I want to reiterate that grass doesn't supplant much in the chicken diet. It quickly becomes too fibrous and contains little nutrition. Unless you're using the term grass as a generic term for greenery. Many weeds, clovers and other more succulent things are eaten and sometimes make up 10% of the diet if they're gotten as tender shoots. Older grass is ignored and the only thing left standing when I rotate pastures.

 

[laughingdog]

My Americana bantams thrive through all but. twenty to below, but before that are completely self sufficient, laying daily, and just this summer got most conditioned to ropst n lay in coop, n allow locking up at night. I've lost two to gf's cat that was "taken care of), n aside from that had no pred trouble, n even get eggs down below zero (you have to supply some warm water a day, was told n do just cause can't hurt hopefully ). I think banty etc, better choice that layer dual heavy meat utlity strains for free ranging, as i get med egg every day each except in heat waves for days occasionally.

my chooks have flying swift running skills etc, pretty gamey, n have dogs scovy ducks guinea n good cats that all sound alarms n each attack alone and together anything that comes on unfenced property in hills of east TN. had two bears n a panther being worst ones dogs got hold of n tried to kill before got them off with cane pole (pretty bad when your having to save preds that your dogs otherwise wear down n rip apart slow). ps my birds also good meat, n just mcmurray hatchery stock got from free ranger farmer that left them be free etc n these just what wasn't taken by preds or disease in guessing just got lucky or adpted back to semi feral state.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

we live in central florida and there is no snow - it does get cold and we will supplement with more protein but the grass and other plant life really doesn't die out. this will be our first winter coming up so i'm not sure as to how much we will have to supplement but the birds will definitely come before my steadfast idea of avoiding laying feed

Grass isn't really that good a chicken feed - it gets tough and fibrous too quickly.

Have you planted any kale for them?

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I want to reiterate that grass doesn't supplant much in the chicken diet. It quickly becomes too fibrous and contains little nutrition. Unless you're using the term grass as a generic term for greenery. Many weeds, clovers and other more succulent things are eaten and sometimes make up 10% of the diet if they're gotten as tender shoots. Older grass is ignored and the only thing left standing when I rotate pastures.

X2

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I feed layer feed because mine cleared out a heavy snail infestation in about three weeks. It was pretty clear they were getting to the end of the snail supply when they started heading straight under the deck when they left the coop. I could see the difference in what they could scratch by watching the increase in the amount of layer feed they ate.

 

[kimberly35042]

Curious, but to all of you who leave feeders full, what do you do about all the mice ??

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Curious, but to all of you who leave feeders full, what do you do about all the mice ??

I use a treadle feeder.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

I leave mine full, but I don't worry about mice because I figure my chickens will run them off Anything not in the dish is sealed though because I don't mind mice living anywhere, but in my buildings.

 

[gjensen]

Grass isn't really that good a chicken feed - it gets tough and fibrous too quickly.

Have you planted any kale for them?

These diets that most people call "natural" etc, are usually short on energy. Chicken's have heart rates in excess of 250bpm, and very high respiration rates. These high metabolisms need a lot of energy. These environments are very short on energy.

That is why grain, in particular corn, feature so highly in commercial rations.

I would grow rape instead of kale in Florida.

Grass is certainly over rated. Chickens are not ruminants. They can handle and adapt to a percentage.

 

[gjensen]

I leave mine full, but I don't worry about mice because I figure my chickens will run them off Anything not in the dish is sealed though because I don't mind mice living anywhere, but in my buildings.

I do not figure my chickens running off any mice wile they are on the roost asleep.

My feeders are elevated, but the mice could have access to what has been spilled. I let the feeders empty once per week, and let the birds do a little clean up. I have not had a mouse problem. Maybe because of the activity around the coop etc. I suspect it is only a matter of time, but not yet.