treats/free range/ commercial food

[bosoxbratt]

Hi all I was wondering if I give my chickens fresh veggies and fruits and their pellet food is that good for them or is it considered to be treats if it doesnt come in a bag? I read some where on here that you dont want to give to many treats?? What is considered to many treats? I have been giving mine lettuce, strawberries oatmeal and some yogurt etc along with thier food I just want to make sure I am not going to make them unhealthy but I was thinking if we free range them they would be getting alot of things outside as well?

 

[Illia]

I free range my chickens, so if veggies, fruits, and stuff are considered treats - They're pretty spoiled!

There's nothing wrong with lots of veggies and fruits and stuff, as it is what they need. Commercial feed is only there for non-free ranged birds and birds who need the extra protein and calcium boost.

If you free range them, they'll be very healthy and happy but you really need to make sure they're safe from predator problems. Ours have acres of clearcut, including branches, stumps, odds and ends that allow their colors to blend in perfectly, plus all the fencing is lined with chicken wire, and they share their space with goats and yaks - So, they're plenty protected.

 

[Warthog]

I also free range my chickens. They do get some bagged food before they go out in the morning, and again in the evening, I also give them all the veggie scraps and leftovers when they come in, in the evening. They are very healthy and hopefully happy hens.

 

[nsanywhere]

For my flock, scratch and bread are considered treats. Everything from the kitchen goes in the pen, they free feed on layer crumble, and free range during the day in a 1/2 acre fenced pen with my sheep. They have lots of places to hide and there are bells on the sheep so we're basically ok from most predators. The scratch and bread are just to make them love me!

Everyone has been healthy at our place for generations

 

[digitS']

The poultry scientists sometimes take a hard tack on this question: don't supplement! That's pretty clear and I've read that from poultry science people at the University of Florida and the University of Georgia.

I like this guy's thinking better: ". . . you should provide scratch sparingly. A general rule of thumb is to feed only as much scratch as the chickens can consume in about 20 minutes, or about 10 to 15 percent of their total daily food consumption. . . table scraps and greens . . . some supplementation is fine . . . The same rule applies here: the total supplementation of scratch and table scraps should be no more than can be cleaned up in about 20 minutes." How to feed your laying and breeding hens, James C. Hermes, Ph.D., Department of Animal Sciences, Oregon State University

I don't know why, I just like his thinking better

.

Steve

 

[eastbaychicks]

So what if they're not getting a lot of treats, and they seem to not be eating their feed that is given to them as they like... and they are free ranging. Sometimes their crops are empty at night so I keep them in the coop to make sure they're getting some feed. When I do this I've noticed egg size and production increases. This is a difficult balance. I'd like to have happy hens, but I'm afraid they aren't getting a lot to eat. One of my girls is quite chubby and the rest are pretty lean. It's hard to tell.

Anyone have more information... I really like the timed snack bit. I pretty much do that. And really the girls only peck at it for that long anyway then they move on to the rest of the yard.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

This is the way I think of it.

Treats are unbalanced foods that do not provide all the nutrition that a complete diet does. They can be part of a balanced diet, but aren't balanced on their own.

Supplements are things that are very good for the chickens and provide nutrients that are either not in their base diet or are not provided in sufficient quantities.

Free range can provide a great many foods, but not always. The types and quantities vary quite a bit, from one location to another. All free range is not equal. The time of year makes a difference in most places, too. The amount of protein available in particular, can vary. A lush range can provide a large percentage of a chicken's diet. Even a poor range gives the chickens a chance to eat phytonutrients that are missing in their commercial diets. They can pick and choose what they need or want. Pastured chickens are a topic that is related to free range.

Commercial feed is balanced for most of the basic things a chicken needs. It doesn't provide the best diet for optimum health for the chicken or optimum quality meat or eggs. It lacks the phytonutrients found in greens, vegetables and fruits. It's also lacking in some of the important fatty acids. It's a lot better than a poorly put together diet by someone that doesn't understand a chicken's nutritional needs or the nutritional make up of all the different dietary ingredients.

Some people mix up their own dry feed. This can turn out better or worse than commercial feed, depending on what's in it.

A person can feed any combination of these things. It just depends on what's important to you and what you want to do. People have different situations, beliefs and goals.

Whenever you are adding to a chicken's diet and it's a large percentage of their caloric intake for the day, on a regular basis, then I think you need to be balancing the carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and providing a good calcium source. Some people feed a lot of fresh food, so that instead of it being a treat, it's a major portion of the diet. That can work great or poorly, depending on what they are feeding.

 

[triggfamily5]

Quote:
Ditto here... except mine is more acreage and geese and horses, got rid of the 2 sheep that thought they were horses after my DH's first attempt at sheering didn't turn out too good.