Supplement feed needed for free range?

[CoopsNPoops]

My chickens are 100% free to roam 40 acres of pasture. This is what i consider free range, but i seen alot of people telling what they feed their free range chickens. So if they have such a huge area to feed, do i need to give them pellet feed too? I have been just because its early spring and the critters aren't abundant yet, but i plan on stopping their feed when the weather gets better and more bugs/worms emerge. Yes i can let them free range and stop feeding? This will be their first full spring and summer as mature layers so I'm new and unsure. Thanks in advance!

 

[azygous]

Absolutely. There is no way a chicken can get all of the vitamins and minerals necessary to prevent catastrophic health issues by merely free-ranging for bugs and seeds and possibly fallen fruit. Some of the nutrients prevent laying issues and even sudden death from the depletion of nutrients laying can bring about. Commercial feed has all of these, and providing access to this feed along with free ranging will assure your chickens get all they require.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

My chickens are 100% free to roam 40 acres of pasture. This is what i consider free range, but i seen alot of people telling what they feed their free range chickens. So if they have such a huge area to feed, do i need to give them pellet feed too? I have been just because its early spring and the critters aren't abundant yet, but i plan on stopping their feed when the weather gets better and more bugs/worms emerge. Yes i can let them free range and stop feeding? This will be their first full spring and summer as mature layers so I'm new and unsure. Thanks in advance!

Oh, i also wanted to address their water. Do i need to give them fresh water daily, or is the large pond sufficient. That's the first place they go in the mornings and has been their water source so far. They are 14 months old and we have had no problems with health or laying. I have it pretty easy since they are 100% free range and have a massive water source, so ive only had to "take care of them" in the winter months. Otherwise they are completely self sufficient and independent, aside from opening and closing their coop. I guess i just didn't know if i NEEDED to feed and water them. I naturally just assumed i didn't. Want to be 100% certain though.

P.S. Don't mind the hay in the yard, we just sowed a new lawn, lol.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes, you do need to supplement. These aren't your great grandparent's chickens. Modern domestic chickens benefit greatly from a nutritionally balanced feed.
Depending on where you live and the quality of the range/forage, they may be able to supply a significant portion of their diet from that. They may survive but not thrive. You don't know that all 40 nutrients chickens are known to need are available in appropriate amounts on those 40 acres.
When you eliminate the pellets this summer, you are likely to see reduced production.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

They need clean water too, and I can practically guarantee that pond water is not clean

 

[ChickenCanoe]

What state are you in? That looks to be down south somewhere.

The pond may be ok as a water source and maybe not. My chickens seem to favor standing water but there may be an issue with algae which can cause illness.
Given the option, would you rather drink water out of a glass of water or off the ground?
A Purina poultry nutritionist posed that question to me. I consider that when I decide whether to clean the water founts.

I free range as well and use about half the feed in summer than in winter but I still use feed.
Chickens tend to forage close to home most of the day. That causes some depletion of available nutrients. Depending on the forage, invertebrates, seeds and forbs may be available in varying amounts.
Chickens are voracious eaters and will eat something all day. That may be feed or things like bark, feces and rocks. I would rather they eat feed.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

Thanks for the replies, i honestly didn't even think about calcium for their egg production. Duh. I just assumed nature would provide. I will continue with their pellets this year then. Last summer they definitely thrived and egg production was perfect strictly free ranging. I did try giving them their feed but they would hardly touch it throughout the day so i assumed they were getting what they needed roamin and stopped. There were no noticeable differences in visual health and egg production. The water is no big deal either, ill just add a trough here in the back yard by the water hose along then fence. The pond is shared with the cattle, but it is also spring fed and naturally filtered. No algae. Being a pond, im sure theres parasites, but no more than the parasites in the dirt and cow patties they forage through, lol.

 

[azygous]

Copper sulfate in the pond during the summer months can deal with algae and parasites. http://www.ibnature.com/copper-compounds-as-algaecides.html It will not poison any critters as long as it's been dissolved in the water.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

What state are you in? That looks to be down south somewhere.

The pond may be ok as a water source and maybe not. My chickens seem to favor standing water but there may be an issue with algae which can cause illness.
Given the option, would you rather drink water out of a glass of water or off the ground?
A Purina poultry nutritionist posed that question to me. I consider that when I decide whether to clean the water founts.

I free range as well and use about half the feed in summer than in winter but I still use feed.
Chickens tend to forage close to home most of the day. That causes some depletion of available nutrients. Depending on the forage, invertebrates, seeds and forbs may be available in varying amounts.
Chickens are voracious eaters and will eat something all day. That may be feed or things like bark, feces and rocks. I would rather they eat feed.

I'm in Southeast Missouri. We have very nutrient rich soil here, and plenty of protien. Lots of variety of grasses and grain. Lots of springs and fresh water sources. We do have a springfed creek that runs through the lower fields behind the back side of the photo there, however, i haven't noticed them that far away yet. The cattle prefer that too, but so do the coyotes and such around, so maybe thats why the chickens stay away, lol.

Copper sulfate in the pond during the summer months can deal with algae and parasites. http://www.ibnature.com/copper-compounds-as-algaecides.html It will not poison any critters as long as it's been dissolved in the water.

Thank you. We haven't had an algae problem, but it's never been tested for quality or contaminants either.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I grew up on a farm in Southeast Missouri. I recognized the shortleaf pine in the photo. We were in the center of the triangle bordered by Ironton, Fredericktown and Farmington.