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ok, slow down
I don't think anyone was accusing anyone. text is sometimes easy to interpret attitudes that aren't there. I would point out that "starving" is a pretty harsh word, especially to people who put as much time, money, and effort into making their chickens as healthy as they can be. You could instead say, you would worry they weren't getting the right nutrition which is a softer way and less accusatory to make your point. You make some good points, that nutrition in a backyard might not be something that has been documented, and that in a farm yard, chickens would likely have access to feeds dropped (or excreted) by other animals, all of which is missing in a backyard. Most people on this thread worry about the food supply for people and for chickens. It is a strange world we live in, with gmo's, factory production of food, and all the other issues related to health. That extends to bagged, extruded chicken feed = at least for me it does. I don't want to feed my chickens what I wouldn't want to eat myself in terms of quality. I have had hens who were free fed the best commercial food I could get that wasn't certified organic, and who became obsese, I've had a hen die of prolapsed vent, and I've had a lot of hens who have lived only one or two years. I have changed my practices as a result and I think it is showing up in the health of my flock. Starving or eating to an excess - both are bad. I'm feeling pretty good that now I have a 4 and 1/2 year old hen that still lays. Delisha mentioned she has some 4 year olds that are still laying. That says to me that they are not starving, and are healthy. And I have seen starving hens, and unhealthy hens, and I don't think anyone would mistake a starving hen for a healthy hen. If your lawn is in a suburb and is treated with lawn chemicals/pesticides/herbicides and is basically one kind of grass, I am not sure whether a chicken could survive on that very well. Where I am? lots of species of plants and bugs in the "lawn", and woods, and planted veggie garden. I would say, though, that hens who are foraging and satisified, and then are lazing around in the late afternoon, aren't starving, are being well cared for. I am personally envious of those who are at home during the day or who have lgds , and can allow free ranging all day! with my predator situation, I choose to let them free range when I am home, so I do feed them in the morning before I leave for work, because the run has been pretty well picked over - there are a few kinds of grass but no clover/dandelion/plantain/chickweed/etc which have been eliminated by the chickens, the weeds are not the kind they eat, and I never see grassphoppers etc there because they have been eaten up! anyway, this is a very friendly thread and I am sure you weren't trying to make your posts confrontational or accusing. When someone makes a startling statement, such as you did on your earlier post, it is normal to ask where you came across that info. answers tell a lot - there are all kinds of wacky "facts" on the internet and many contradictory, and many not credible. RIght here on byc, for example, you will read people saying that you can't feed your hens potatoe peelings, because they read it somewhere. so what kind of chickens do you have, and how long have you been raising them? (edited to make my own words a little softer)
ok, slow down
I don't think anyone was accusing anyone. text is sometimes easy to interpret attitudes that aren't there. I would point out that "starving" is a pretty harsh word, especially to people who put as much time, money, and effort into making their chickens as healthy as they can be. You could instead say, you would worry they weren't getting the right nutrition which is a softer way and less accusatory to make your point. You make some good points, that nutrition in a backyard might not be something that has been documented, and that in a farm yard, chickens would likely have access to feeds dropped (or excreted) by other animals, all of which is missing in a backyard. Most people on this thread worry about the food supply for people and for chickens. It is a strange world we live in, with gmo's, factory production of food, and all the other issues related to health. That extends to bagged, extruded chicken feed = at least for me it does. I don't want to feed my chickens what I wouldn't want to eat myself in terms of quality. I have had hens who were free fed the best commercial food I could get that wasn't certified organic, and who became obsese, I've had a hen die of prolapsed vent, and I've had a lot of hens who have lived only one or two years. I have changed my practices as a result and I think it is showing up in the health of my flock. Starving or eating to an excess - both are bad. I'm feeling pretty good that now I have a 4 and 1/2 year old hen that still lays. Delisha mentioned she has some 4 year olds that are still laying. That says to me that they are not starving, and are healthy. And I have seen starving hens, and unhealthy hens, and I don't think anyone would mistake a starving hen for a healthy hen. If your lawn is in a suburb and is treated with lawn chemicals/pesticides/herbicides and is basically one kind of grass, I am not sure whether a chicken could survive on that very well. Where I am? lots of species of plants and bugs in the "lawn", and woods, and planted veggie garden. I would say, though, that hens who are foraging and satisified, and then are lazing around in the late afternoon, aren't starving, are being well cared for. I am personally envious of those who are at home during the day or who have lgds , and can allow free ranging all day! with my predator situation, I choose to let them free range when I am home, so I do feed them in the morning before I leave for work, because the run has been pretty well picked over - there are a few kinds of grass but no clover/dandelion/plantain/chickweed/etc which have been eliminated by the chickens, the weeds are not the kind they eat, and I never see grassphoppers etc there because they have been eaten up! anyway, this is a very friendly thread and I am sure you weren't trying to make your posts confrontational or accusing. When someone makes a startling statement, such as you did on your earlier post, it is normal to ask where you came across that info. answers tell a lot - there are all kinds of wacky "facts" on the internet and many contradictory, and many not credible. RIght here on byc, for example, you will read people saying that you can't feed your hens potatoe peelings, because they read it somewhere. so what kind of chickens do you have, and how long have you been raising them? (edited to make my own words a little softer)
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