Will hens lay eggs on forage alone?

[chickenannie]

This is continuing on another thread that touched on this.

Does anyone know if hens are allowed to free range (on a farm) if they can get enough forage to continue producing eggs? I imagine they would lay MORE if they were fed more, but I'm guessing they wouldn't starve on their own either.
An organic vegetable farmer I know wanted to have a couple of hens that lived in the barn and ranged freely.

 

[morelcabin]

Yes I believe they would be able to forage enough to survive and lay eggs. The problem would be predators and winter months (depending on where you live)

 

[chickenannie]

Do you know if egg-laying goes down?

 

[ibpboo]

I have a game hen that just started living in my yard/tree. She is free range at all times and she lays eggs everyday. She did go broody for a few weeks, but she got up now. She does get a little lay crumbles/scratch sometimes, but for the most part she is just eating forage and bugs.

 

[kees]

My hens are no longer broody and they are free-foraging and seem quite happy. I wonder too if egg-laying will decrease. From what I understand it takes about 5 weeks after being broody to start laying again. I do miss those fresh eggs!

 

[SillyChick]

Yes I think they will lay on forage alone. I have a native chicken that lives on free-range and we only seldom give them food like leftovers. We found a nest she made in the bushes and it had 9 eggs(don't let the eggs collect in the nest or she will get broody!)!

Hope it helps!

 

[kstaven]

If they have the quantity and quality forage they need to maintain a balanced diet egg laying will not suffer at all. Soil is a major factor here also. If it is lacking the forage will be lacking also.

 

[chickenannie]

It's hard to know what is "enough" nutritional forage... These chickens would free-range on a farm with one horse pasture and a 4-acre organic veg garden. I think it would have a lot of foraged food to choose from. I guess maybe we'll have to give it a go.

Now I'm betting the problem is, if you don't feed them, how do you get them to roost back in a henhouse (since you want them to lay their eggs where you can find them)!

 

[greyfields]

Yes they will continue to lay but won't be as prolific as if they were just grain fed continuously. It also depends on your circumstances. Someone in a residential area with a tiny backyard would have little luck since there just isn't enough space or gleanings. On a farm, where you are spilling feed for other animsl, moving hay, gardening, etc. the hens will do quite well.

As an experiment, I would try putting out enough feed for roughly 50% their daily needs then monitor your egg rate. If you can live with it, then try going down to 1/3. Ultimately, they should hvae some kind of complete ration around, though, just so you don't develop problems with trace mineral deficiences.