what did they feed "in the olden days"?

[centrarchid]

Additionally, free-ranging birds leads to losses. You can't pen your chickens in somewhere predator-proof and still have them get their own food.

But yeah, insect populations are falling all over the world, and a lot of people live in non-rural areas now. Anyone who lives in a neighborhood instead of a general chunk of farmland isn't exactly going to be able to have their chickens catch all their own food.

OP interested in what was done long ago. Then chickens kept when they had resources to do so.

 

[Fishkeeper]

But doesn't the question of "what did people used to do" come with an implied question of "why isn't that done any more"?

 

[centrarchid]

Only if spelled out. Making implications makes for value judgements. varidgerunner got to point op wanted.

 

[15WildTurkey]

My mom grew up on a small farm in Ireland. Money was scarce but she remembers that the chickens always got a little corn. They were such an important food source. The eggs were invaluable. Other then that, food scraps and free ranging yard and dung heap. They roosted in a barn, there were barnyard cats and dogs around, foxes and minks were the enemies. She would have to follow the chickens around to locate their nests.

 

[MROO]

Haha! I laughed when I read it, too. I thought "hmmm...that must be code for poop."

Yup - and when you see 'em along the side of the road, they're "road apples!" Boy, does THAT ever take me back!

 

[Uff Da]

I raise Icelandics. One of the local terms for them is "pile chickens," because they survived off of the compost and manure piles. There were several feral populations in existence when the Icelandic government collected them for conservation. The difference in feeding behavior between the Icelandics and other breeds I occasionally have side by side with them is extreme--the Icelandics basically ignore the contents of the feeders and spend their time scratching around. The other chickens prefer the feed provided. However, I've successfully free-ranged/scrap-fed modern production types, too. Right now I have a red sex-link that is giving me an egg per day on that sort of system, and her eggs are lovely and she is blooming with health.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I would like to free-range my chickens more, but there is a serious lack of cover for them near their coop. DH has mowed the field back about 150' and there are not any trees or shrubs in the field for the chickens to hide under in case of hawks or eagles. We were talking last weekend about future plans and it was suggested making a "summer coop" down at the edge of the field and fencing in the field. That way, in the winter I can pull the layer flock back up to the barn and have the electricity to keep the waterers thawed and the lights on, but during summer, the birds can range in the field and eat all the grasshoppers and crickets that they want.

 

[Chicken Heel]

My Grandpa had games and bantams that roamed his small farm. They scratched in and around the barn and pastures for their food. The only grain they got was what the Guernsey cow and plow horse dropped on the ground from their troughs. He also gave them a little cow's milk on a daily basis. They remain the healthiest and prettiest chickens I have ever seen.

 

[imnukensc]

The free range chickens we had as a kid (66 now) got scratch feed once a day in the evening.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Fascinating to read the memories and reminiscences on old time chicken feeding! We are on Oklahoma prairie and forest but don’t do a lot of free ranging of chickens due to predators. We do free range our guineas. They have chick starter/grower always available but eat less than 1/5 of that in comparison to the chickens, so they mostly get their calories from forage. I’ve been surprised at what avid grazers they are, especially in winter. My DH is a nature enthusiast and he was afraid that the guineas would wipe out the small invertebrates etc that support our flock old bluebirds and other wildlife. The jury is still out on what exactly the guineas are eating, but we have more frogs on the ground than ever, and still plenty of grasshopper type insects in the prairie. I’ve seen the guineas glean grass often - I suspect that they mostly eat very small things... In contrast, when I let chickens out for supervised free range time, I’m seeing frogs, small snakes, and crayfish eaten.