what did they feed "in the olden days"?

[varidgerunner]

Why would anyone feed a chicken? They are perfectly capable of fending for themselves. Or at least they once were. Some still are.

 

[so lucky]

Why would anyone feed a chicken? They are perfectly capable of fending for themselves. Or at least they once were. Some still are.

Probably 75 years ago when people with chickens lived on farms, and the yard wasn't mowed to within an inch of its life, and pesticides weren't used on crops and lawn, chickens might have been able to fend for them selves. I know there are feral chickens in some places. but they would starve to death in our sterile lifeless modern lawns.

 

[centrarchid]

Chicken meat was a luxury. Eggs were seasonally available.

Free-range supplemented by table waste was important for many. Most chickens were grown in same location as some larger animal keeping as well as gardening. Dunghill approach.

In the US before the advent of complete feeds, corn (maize), especially of the flint variety. Oats and barely where also likely used where such grains were available.

Some birds got supplementation with fish products and animal parts from butchery.

More land and fewer chickens involved. Most keepers bred their own birds.

Very different from today.

 

[Fishkeeper]

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.

 

[varidgerunner]

Historically, predator losses weren't a big concern. They were hunted for meat and skins, no firearms ordinances, no protected species, varmint populations were kept in check. The type of chickens raised influences predator losses as well. Had a possum try to get a six week old chick the other night. Chick got away, was perched high in a tree outside the open pen, cheaping loudly. Possum was balled up in a corner drooling on himself, while mom and dad were giving a beatdown to anything that moved in the darkness. Commercial birds would have just laid down and pretended to be chicken tenders.

 

[Folly's place]

Farmland today is different too! I live on the south side of a rural road, on fifty untreated acres, with wood and a commercial farm on the east side. On the north side of the road are suburban one acre lots, and who knows what herbicides and pesticides being used.
Must have beautiful grass! must have a weed free driveway! No bugs!
In twenty-five years, there are many many fewer frogs, toads, turtles, butterflies, and moths. This year, after an unusual cold spell last winter, nearly no frogs or toads.
If smaller (chicken food type) insects and critters are also lower in numbers, this is not prime chicken friendly 'free range' at all. And there's no herbicide or outside pesticide use here...
Mary

 

[wyoDreamer]

They sold eggs, so they had quite a few chickens, not many grasshoppers in their fields, lol. Predator losses were few because they had farm dogs and barn cats. Chickens did get all the scraps from the kitchen too. My aunt is having fun remembering all this...

 

[wyoDreamer]

Many of the breeds we have today are not like the breeds of old. They are now fenced in and eat from a feeder. The hatcheries breed for alot of eggs to hatch and a lot of "breeders" are breeding their chickens to the breed standard. I never read a breed standard, but I would guess that ability to "free-range and find their own food" is not on the list of traits. My Browns (hybrids) like ot scratch in the dirt and leaves and such and find tidbits to eat, but they would not be laying max number of eggs if I didn't feed them out of a bag every day.

Kinda like dog breeds. The AKC registered Irish Setters no longer have the strong hunting urge, they are bred to "standard" which is all looks and the hunting ability is left behind.

 

[Folly's place]

sThere are breeds who are more likely to do well ranging, and I don't have them. Game bred chickens, Fayoumis, Cubalayas, among others. My neighbor's house is only about 200 ft. from the coop, and the five ft. fence between won't keep those breeds home. My heritage breeds, bantams especially, can fly well, but tend to roam away from their property. Everyone is better off at home!
The one time I had a cute pair of Old English Game bantams, they wanted to roost in trees, not a good survival strategy here.
Mary

 

[FlyWheel]

Also called 'road apples'.

My dad used to call them trail biscuits.