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- #31
I figure that layer feed is designed for the chickens in cages who get absolutely nothing else and there is no intent to support the birds any longer than maybe 2 egg seasons. That's my own opinion, I am not a chicken nutritionist and I don't even play one on television.
I'm not a chicken nutritionist either. I suppose the commercial feed is formulated for maximum benefit of the chicken. But I really don't care if my girls prefer to forage for half, or more, of their daily food. My commercial feed usage has dropped in half after I let my girls out on a grass run. I also give them kitchen scraps when available, but with just the wife and me, there is not a great quantity of scraps. I have also been feeding barley sprouts to the girls and they seem to enjoy that. I think the barley sprouts will be really nice in the winter when grass is no longer available. I hope that a variety in the diet will benefit the girls, but if nothing else they seem to be happy digging and scratching in the run looking for food.