Free range chicken feed can be an ideal way to provide all of the essential nutrition for your flock without needing to purchase commercial feed. Many homesteaders rely solely on natural forage such as grasses, vegetables, weeds and plants as the basis for keeping their flock healthy.
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1. Chickens are able to forage for bugs and grass
Studies show that chickens fed free range chicken feed have higher concentrations of proteins, iron and zinc than those given grain-fed food. Since free range chickens naturally forage for food like grasses, bugs, weeds and greens from which they derive their nourishment – foraging can reduce how much grain must be provided to them each week.
Chickens are constantly on the lookout for lizards, amphibians and small rodents; they also love eating acorns, tree seeds, corn kernels and pumpkins! Unfortunately, too much consumption of these items could lead to nutritional imbalances that require supplementation.
Freedom for your chickens may provide them with essential nutrition while saving you money, but it also has drawbacks. Chickens will destroy flower seedlings, your garden and vegetable beds, and front yards as they forage for food; additionally, they’ll scratch at grass to create large holes which smother it until eventually dying off entirely. Luckily, adding some sand and pebbles into their diet may reduce these damages significantly.
2. Chickens are healthier
Free range chickens have many ways of finding food on their own, reducing your need for layer feed. They may consume insects, worms, berries, vegetables, grass cuttings or table scraps that provide vital vitamins and amino acids.
A nutritious and balanced diet will result in healthier birds that produce higher-grade eggs, and may even keep your coop cleaner by decreasing pungent waste production.
Let your flock out to forage, and they’ll help to maintain the beauty of your flower beds and vegetable garden by devouring weeds, bugs and anything that interferes with their normal behavior. Though some seedlings and vegetables may perish from being nibbled by these hungry chickens, the remainder will flourish and continue thriving. They’ll naturally trim their nails as well as reduce pecking behaviors caused by boredom – plus fertilize your garden without needing to maintain an elaborate chicken coop in the background! Plus you’ll spend more quality time spending time with your flock without being distracted by an overwhelming chicken coop being on display!
3. Chickens are happier
Chickens that forage for their food outside produce more flavorful eggs. Furthermore, their overall happiness and health increase when allowed to roam free rather than being kept cooped up all day long.
However, free range chickens can do considerable damage to gardens and flowerbeds. They can eat flowers, dig up seeds and destroy newly planted vegetables before leaving an abundance of poop behind – creating an unpleasant mess and inconvenience for homeowners who worry about such matters.
There’s a world of difference between “free-range” and other rigorous certifications like Animal Welfare Approved or Certified Humane. Requiring that chickens have “access” to outdoor space is an insufficient definition and does not address conditions on factory farms, which are often exploitative, unsafe and unsanitary environments where workers endure high levels of ammonia that can cause lung and eye irritation as well as respiratory difficulties for chickens themselves. Furthermore, such weak definitions don’t inform consumers what exactly they are buying when shopping “free-range”.
4. Chickens are cheaper
Chickens raised free-ranging are not only healthier but also cheaper due to eating their natural diet; while those kept in cages receive a subpar mix of cheap corn, soy, and cottonseed meal with plenty of additives that alters both taste and appearance of eggs produced from these birds.
Instead of purchasing a huge bag of feed each month, try supplementing their diet with table scraps from home and the table. Wilted lettuce, soft berries and unappetizing leftovers that would otherwise end up in the garbage can are excellent additions to their regular meal. Besides helping the environment by recycling waste into compost piles more efficiently.
Growing grains, sunflower seeds and field peas in your own backyard is another effective way to reduce feed costs. When purchasing commercially raised chicken, always opt for cage-free or Certified Humane Free Range varieties as these offer truly free range experiences.
