Whole kernel (not cracked) corn

[FarmerDenise]

If chickens had to have layer mash to survive, there would be no chickens. Laying crumbles or mash was invented in the more recent history, chickens have been around for a lot longer than manufactured feed.
That being said, I do feed my chickens laying crumble, but I don't panic when I run out, because I do let my birds free range.
My great grandmother and my grandmother had chickens, they never even heard of laying crumbles. Their chickens didn't even get table scraps, because there weren't any. They knew which herbs were neccessary for their chickens and went out and foraged those herbs for their chickens. The chickens free ranged by neccessity and got their grains from the barn yard and the fields.
So even though I do belive that the laying crumbles are an easy way to make sure our chickens get a complete diet, I also belive that they would be fine without it as long as they get a varied diet.
My chickens also get lots of other goodies produced on our farm including whole corn, broom corn and millet and other seeds from whatever we grow, as well as lots of greens. We plan on growing more of our own chicken feed this year, because we like knowing where our and our animals' food comes from and keeping the cost down as well.

 

[Brian]

Quote:
Do they still lay well when off the layer ration?

 

[chicknmania]

Ours do, during the summer when they have lots of free choice stuff to eat; bugs, grain, veggies, flowers, frogs, you name it

We always have more eggs than we can eat, and lots to sell. In the spring and fall when pickings are slimmer is when we add the layer.