Stretching feed in safe, healthy way

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With a heavy predator load, you might consider hot wire for your coop and a large covered run. Free ranging can supplement commercial feed but it may not be worth losing your birds for.

Best wishes!

 

[Grammy60]

Hello and welcome to BYC Thanks for joining us and you've been given great advice from other chicken owners. Best of luck with your flock

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Check it out a privately owned feed mills to try to save on the cost of feed and consider investing in electrified poultry netting to protect from ground predators. Good luck!

 

[TeamAmerica]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Free ranging is always risky business and no matter where you live, you will lose some to predators. You might try electric fencing. I have a lot of predators too and do supervised free ranging only. Otherwise they stay inside a large run.

Good luck and welcome aboard!

Thanks greatly. Good advice.

 

[TeamAmerica]

Hello, and welcome to the forum! Are you assuming that more free ranging will make it so your chickens don't need commercial feed? There's very few geographical locations that can support a chicken, as far as solely free ranging goes. Yes, feed prices are high, but it's what your chickens need to have a well balanced diet and to be healthy enough to provide you with eggs.

No. Trying to supplement feed with natural sources to reduce need for as much grain. I’m from Deep South Louisiana so vegetation/insects are generally plentiful. Not so much this winter. Thanks for your input and would appreciate additional info now that my intent is further clarified.

 

[TeamAmerica]

With a heavy predator load, you might consider hot wire for your coop and a large covered run. Free ranging can supplement commercial feed but it may not be worth losing your birds for.

Best wishes!

Great advice. Thanks.

 

[TeamAmerica]

No. Trying to supplement feed with natural sources to reduce need for as much grain. I’m from Deep South Louisiana so vegetation/insects are generally plentiful. Not so much this winter. Thanks for your input and would appreciate additional info now that my intent is further clarified.

Hi Isadora. Thanks greatly for input. Trying to figure how to use this site. Thought you wrote another short comment but it quickly disappeared. Did see the heart. That’s very kind.

 

[SilverBirds]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Tookie]

Hi and welcome to BYC!

 

[janiedoe]

Welcome to BYC.