BrindleFinch
Songster
If you free range your chickens, how can you feed treats in this balanced model?
I feed a 22% protein crumble, but my girls still go after every bug as if they haven't had protein in their entire lives. I give about two to three handfuls of flock party every night, for 11 chickens. Usually oat and mealworm, sometimes corn and mealworm.
Is free ranging considered a treat, then? If they can get bugs while free ranging, are mealworms a treat? Or is the only treat I'm feeding the corn / oats with the mealworms... What about all the low protein things they choose to eat while they're free ranging? Wild berries and weeds.
Are those treats too??? I think when you get to a certain point it's just... Tit-for-tat. I just don't know how to determine if free ranging is impacting them, or if because I free range I can't give treats at all.
I feed a 22% protein crumble, but my girls still go after every bug as if they haven't had protein in their entire lives. I give about two to three handfuls of flock party every night, for 11 chickens. Usually oat and mealworm, sometimes corn and mealworm.
Is free ranging considered a treat, then? If they can get bugs while free ranging, are mealworms a treat? Or is the only treat I'm feeding the corn / oats with the mealworms... What about all the low protein things they choose to eat while they're free ranging? Wild berries and weeds.
Are those treats too??? I think when you get to a certain point it's just... Tit-for-tat. I just don't know how to determine if free ranging is impacting them, or if because I free range I can't give treats at all.