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Permalink Reply by Catherine Hall on March 1, 2012 at 10:45am

Good questions. I have layer pellets in each chicken coop and feed a grain mixture to ducks, turkeys, geese, and the chickens all together twice a day. That is just winter time. As the grass begins to grow the ducks and geese will go behind electronet and I will cut back on the twice daily feed and it will go just to the ducks and geese. I generally feed garden extras and spent pea plants to my birds especially the geese and I move the electronets to allow for fresh grass.

It is obvious to me when looking at the color of egg yolks that some of my chickens must forage more than others. Of course they are all much more colorful than standard store eggs.

The turkeys processed had a lot of fat so I think they may be over fed.

My geese and ducks look lean and processed ducks have not appeared overly fat but they were young.

I wonder if anyone feeds a specific weight or volume per bird per day. It seems to me that if I didn't have an all you can eat all day feed for chickens they might all forage more.

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Permalink Reply by Icebox Farm (Tasha and Steve) on March 1, 2012 at 4:55pm

That's exactly what I'm thinking!  We've been pulling weeds - dandelions and such & putting those in their run the last few days (since we're trying to rent our place & need to get the back yard in shape for renters).  So they're getting tons of greens - plus table scraps, yogurt, etc.  When we move, they'll have lots of room to forage.  I just wonder if they're eating too much of the commercial food.  Thanks for your input, Catherine!

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Permalink Reply by J Green on March 1, 2012 at 8:47pm

I feed once a day, each evening, in the warmer months and in the morning in the winter.   I only feed what they can clean up that day/meal.  Feeding in the evening during good forage months encourages more foraging and still lets them get a belly full of laying ration before going to bed. 

Your laying ration isn't the supplemental feed~the graze and forage is.  The small area you provide won't fulfill their dietary needs and laying hens need good protein and calcium levels to lay well.  Buff Orpingtons aren't the most feed efficient breed and will eat you out of house and home.  Because of the excess fat they carry, they won't be your best layers either.  They sure are pretty but that is their best quality. 

The Barred Rocks will be more feed efficient and forage well if they don't have continuous and easy feed presented all day.  Remove the feed during morning and afternoon hours and feed once a day each evening and you will see a slimmer, more active hen that will lay better for you on the feed you are providing. 

Table scraps are fine every once in awhile, but to lay well they really need the layer feeds.  If laying well is not the goal, then the extra foods like scraps, yogurt, etc. is fine but a bird won't forage for greens as much if they are presented with readily available feed.

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