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How old do chickens have to be before you can free range them?

How much do you feed free range chickens?

  • I have 5 free range hens. They have a coop and a pretty big backyard all to themselves. I keep water out there at all times. But with all the grass and bugs they eat I haven't actually been feeding them chicken feed for about 3 months. I give them leftovers and bread. But do they need real chicken feed when it's not cold out? Also, they are still laying without the feed... Thanks :)

  • Answer:

    Even free range chickens need free choice feed available to them at all times. Feed contains essential nutrients and minerals. Your chickens know what to eat, but still should have the extra availability to choose their regular feed. Also, the abrupt change in feed (from pasture to store bought food) in colder weather is hard and puts unnecessary stress on your birds. They really won't eat that much if they're out with enough pasture anyway.

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You might find without the added calcium that proprietary layers food contains their shells might become very thin. Hundreds of years ago when chickens just laid a few eggs each year free ranging was fine but now most breeds would lay 200+ eggs per year so they really do need layers food. Feed them some layers food in a morning when you let them out their coop & they are starving. Then they can go off eating bugs & worms to their hearts content. Don't feed to much bread, it fills them up & has very few nutrients. Also it can get impacted in their crops which causes major problems if it goes mouldy.

Trust Me I'm a Doctor ♥

Yeah they do especially in the winter,

DumptyHumpy

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