What chicken breeds are closest to "your grandfather's chicken"?

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I hope this question makes sense. I'm newer to chickens and did not grow up in a family that had them. On BYC, and in real life, I have heard people say that their grandparents didn't feed their chickens any commercial feed, but simply threw the flock a small amount of grains/scratch such as corn, oats, barley, etc. every day and let them find the rest of their food by grazing. People have said you can't do that with today's chickens because they are bred to produce eggs so much that they have dietary needs only the commercial feed can meet. So my question is, is this really true, or are there still breeds that can survive this way? If so, which breeds?

This is all hypothetical, but I can't help but wonder how families raised eggs and meat for hundreds of years using these methods, and now suddenly we can't. I understand why my production RIR can't live on a handful of scratch every day, but I even hear people say the heritage breeds can't. Are we too far away breeding-wise from the breeds of old to do this? Or were chickens back then actually very short-lived and our standards are higher now so we feed this higher quality feed? Well, this has turned into more than one question so I'll stop here, but let me know what you guys think.

Edit: I also wanted to add that I do understand the chickens way back when produced fewer eggs and less meat. I am just asking about why chickens supposedly can't be raised at all using this method anymore.

 

[tripletfeb]

I hope this question makes sense. I'm newer to chickens and did not grow up in a family that had them. On BYC, and in real life, I have heard people say that their grandparents didn't feed their chickens any commercial feed, but simply threw the flock a small amount of grains/scratch such as corn, oats, barley, etc. every day and let them find the rest of their food by grazing. People have said you can't do that with today's chickens because they are bred to produce eggs so much that they have dietary needs only the commercial feed can meet. So my question is, is this really true, or are there still breeds that can survive this way? If so, which breeds?

This is all hypothetical, but I can't help but wonder how families raised eggs and meat for hundreds of years using these methods, and now suddenly we can't. I understand why my production RIR can't live on a handful of scratch every day, but I even hear people say the heritage breeds can't. Are we too far away breeding-wise from the breeds of old to do this? Or were chickens back then actually very short-lived and our standards are higher now so we feed this higher quality feed? Well, this has turned into more than one question so I'll stop here, but let me know what you guys think.

Edit: I also wanted to add that I do understand the chickens way back when produced fewer eggs and less meat. I am just asking about why chickens supposedly can't be raised at all using this method anymore.

I don't think it's that chickens "can't" be raised this way. I think it's that they "shouldn't" be. We have learned so much as far as what they need to not only live but to thrive, that feeding them the old school way probably wouldn't cut it anymore. But there are still people that do and say it works for them. I say, whatever works for you and your animals, have at it. One more thing, back in grandpa's day, chickens were not pets, they were livestock. On the farm for a purpose and if they no longer served that purpose, they got eaten. That's how a lot of us still view our chickens and others view them as pets. To each his own

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I don't think it's that chickens "can't" be raised this way. I think it's that they "shouldn't" be. We have learned so much as far as what they need to not only live but to thrive, that feeding them the old school way probably wouldn't cut it anymore. But there are still people that do and say it works for them. I say, whatever works for you and your animals, have at it. One more thing, back in grandpa's day, chickens were not pets, they were livestock. On the farm for a purpose and if they no longer served that purpose, they got eaten. That's how a lot of us still view our chickens and others view them as pets. To each his own

A lot of farms also had multiple animals. So chickens could usually find goodies in other pens and in gardens

 

[ChickyCh00k]

I am just asking about why chickens supposedly can't be raised at all using this method anymore.

They probably *could be raised that way, but just like Grandpa's chickens, they wouldn’t lay as many eggs or live as long.

I don't think it's that chickens "can't" be raised this way. I think it's that they "shouldn't" be. We have learned so much as far as what they need to not only live but to thrive, that feeding them the old school way probably wouldn't cut it anymore. But there are still people that do and say it works for them. I say, whatever works for you and your animals, have at it. One more thing, back in grandpa's day, chickens were not pets, they were livestock. On the farm for a purpose and if they no longer served that purpose, they got eaten. That's how a lot of us still view our chickens and others view them as pets. To each his own

x 2 this.

 

[tripletfeb]

A lot of farms also had multiple animals. So chickens could usually find goodies in other pens and in gardens

This too

 

[Theorrin]

A lot of farms also had multiple animals. So chickens could usually find goodies in other pens and in gardens

this. when they have free reign of the fields they can get what nutrients they need whether its the protein from all the bugs on the plants to "helping" eat the cows/goats/pigs/horses feed to straight out eating the veggies/fruits off the rows

 

[WM Muscovies]

I hope this question makes sense. I'm newer to chickens and did not grow up in a family that had them. On BYC, and in real life, I have heard people say that their grandparents didn't feed their chickens any commercial feed, but simply threw the flock a small amount of grains/scratch such as corn, oats, barley, etc. every day and let them find the rest of their food by grazing. People have said you can't do that with today's chickens because they are bred to produce eggs so much that they have dietary needs only the commercial feed can meet. So my question is, is this really true, or are there still breeds that can survive this way? If so, which breeds?

This is all hypothetical, but I can't help but wonder how families raised eggs and meat for hundreds of years using these methods, and now suddenly we can't. I understand why my production RIR can't live on a handful of scratch every day, but I even hear people say the heritage breeds can't. Are we too far away breeding-wise from the breeds of old to do this? Or were chickens back then actually very short-lived and our standards are higher now so we feed this higher quality feed? Well, this has turned into more than one question so I'll stop here, but let me know what you guys think.

Edit: I also wanted to add that I do understand the chickens way back when produced fewer eggs and less meat. I am just asking about why chickens supposedly can't be raised at all using this method anymore.

That is exactly how I raise mine. They get a little feed in the morning and they free range all day. My birds are very healthy and laying great!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

this. when they have free reign of the fields they can get what nutrients they need whether its the protein from all the bugs on the plants to "helping" eat the cows/goats/pigs/horses feed to straight out eating the veggies/fruits off the rows

Heck, some of my broody hens will wait by horse droppings and pluck flies out of the air near them to feed to their chicks

 

[Evadig]

My hens only get commercial feed until I let them out of their runs in the morning, then they have a few bites at night before going to bed. The rest of the day, they free range in our two acre backyard (and the neighbor's, when I'm not watching them ). They each lay about five eggs a week, which is perfect for our family.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

So what I'm gathering is, you guys are saying you could still raise today's chickens this way, but they will be less productive. I expected that, but I thought they would also just not survive long or something, or get health issues - which is kind of what I've heard people say on here. I thought people have said that (the majority of) today's chickens were essentially bred to produce heavily and need that commercial feed. Which kind of makes sense because if my production red chicken is bred to pass an egg through her reproductive tract every day and lay it, and she isn't getting enough nutrients (it requires a lot) to form that egg, then she would probably have some issues. So idk, I guess I'm having trouble believing chickens like this could just get some scratch and the only issue would be less laying. Am I talking crazy? Lol. I think I'm having a hard time expressing what I'm trying to say.