"Treats" vs feed vs free range?

[vanlash]

Your setup sounds like mine, except our chicken run is about 100 ft by 30 ft. I only have 3 girls right now. I'm feeding the organic hen scratch (yes, very expensive), but I really wanted to find out if it is possible to feed them things not store bought, I mean not processed foods like you mentioned. I stopped using hen layer long ago when I read that they changed out linoleic oil for oliec oil(I think that is the right way), I could find the article, but basically they changed out the oil because it allowed a longer shelf life, but it caused the eggs to be higher in cholesterol. When I was just looking for the article. I found one that mentioned cashew nut meal reduces the cholesterol value. 'Course that's probably pretty expensive too. But yep, I dig up worms and feed them to my girls. You are not alone. So, this particular batch of hens are really not into fruit which I find strange, wish I could find a way to entice them. I have tons of fruit trees. They pick at vegi scraps. They are really picky. Anybody have any other ideas on food that can be bought like in a grocery store that will give chickens a healthy balanced diet (on top of their bug and weed foraging) to replace hen scratch?

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

My chickens LOVES bananas!

 

[anna-newhampshire]

My problem with commercial feed, even though it is formulated to be 100% nutrition is that it is also full of processed foods, preservatives and additives (even the fancy expensive non-GMO, organic)

I totally agree with you. The feed is also monotonous. On the other hand it is very convenient and, ahem, well advertised.

I am trying to do my best for my five pet quails. I did some internet research and found the usual banalities, useless stuff, wrong information, and some excellent information too. I would link my favorite article but the website is down unfortunately. Here is a link to a post of mine from another thread which contains a good video.
New Country Organics decline in quality
What do you think of the video?

 

[GC-Raptor]

My girls get all 3.
Unlimited access to feed and water.
Treats; Mixed bird seed scattered over straw in their pen twice a day.
An occasional fruit, bruised or past its prime, but not rotten.
Wet crumbles occasionally.
A raw egg smashed on the ground with a sprinkle of seeds on top, once a week.
They also get to free range an hour before sunset daily, weather permitting. GC

 

[HeyHo]

Chicken novice here. Treat clarification question -- is "free range" time considered to be more like "treats" or more like "feed"? My crew gets 2-3 hours of woodland foraging in the afternoon/evening and, as far as I can tell, they eats lots of random leaves and twigs and mulch. I feel better about their treats (mealworms, yogurt, greens, fruit) than what they find on their own (but perhaps I am projecting).

 

[lazy gardener]

IMO,There is no way that a confined run can be classified as free range. IMHO, one can not even classify "letting the birds have access to the whole typical back yard" which consists of lawn and gardens. A good free range has a combination of grass lands, meadow, woods, including the litter that typically is found on a forest floor.

My flock gets fermented feed, deep litter run, and OCCASIONAL free range which includes lawn, tall weedy patches, woods and BTE orchard. I consider free range time, and the nutrition they glean from that to be at least equal if not more beneficial than processed feed. Fermentation, and deep litter both work very well to decrease the feed bill. The fermentation process has been proven to increase methionine, lysine, and in many cases, some B vitamins.