Winter free ranging, What are they eating?

[navychick]

It's getting pretty cold here and my flock loves wandering our yard. They faithfully return to their run each night and then to their coop where they are locked in for the night. They are eating much less crumble (and love foraging thru the leaves and such. We sprinkle their scratch near their home to encourage them from wandering too far and still give them fresh treats. I assumed in cold weather they would eat more than usual. In the late fall and winter what are they eating out in my yard?

 

[ninabeast]

A question I've been pondering myself! Our grass is still green (under the premature and unwelcome snow) but surely the bug population must be down.

 

[mommissan]

I'm just guessing.... The cold weather is forcing all the bugs into the ground for winter. There are insects that hibernate, and some that must finish developing in the ground to emerge in the spring. I watch my girls, and they are finding all kinds of stuff to fight over. What do you think?

 

[ninabeast]

That makes sense. My girls are foraging like crazy. The ground is soggy with all the melting snow; maybe it will be harder when the ground is frozen? This is my first winter with chickens, so I'm making this up as I go along. My chickens were born in April, so...so are they!

 

[mommissan]

First winter for my girls too. Learning as I go.....

 

[Pony Trotsky]

I've been wondering the same thing.

There's snow on the ground here, but mine still spend a lot of time foraging busily. Feed consumption seems way down, and they don't get particularly exited about fruit and vegetables just lately. (Meat is another story.) They're laying fine, and look as fat n' sassy as ever, so there must be something yummy out there.

 

[mommissan]

I've seen them carry away lots of leggy and squishy things.

Just making yummier eggs!