When should I feed my foraging chickens?

[horselover145]

We recently got 6 leghorn pullets.

They are about 6 weeks old.

We live on 6 acres and planned on them roaming and eating bugs and plants etc. How much chicken feed should we be supplementing into their diet? Do we feed them at night instead of in the morning? I want to encourage them to wander further and eat less chicken feed. Also can they still have a regular chicken feeder or does that discourage the foraging?
Thanks!

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Your six week old birds should be eating poultry starter-grower, at about 20% protein. They should be fed free-choice, and have the choice to eat starter-grower whenever they would like to for optimum growth and health.

They will still forage, but you can't scrimp on nutrition or you're stopping them from reaching their full laying potential. And once they reach 18 weeks, switch them to a layer ration and provide that free choice as well. There is a lot of research that shows that when laying hens don't have access to decent feed, they stop laying eggs. Access to good forage will certainly reduce your feed bill during the summer, but be prepared for your feed bill to double or triple in the fall and winter months.

I understand your wish to save money, but this might be penny-wise and pound-foolish.