[Rosemary]

I know this has been on here before but I can't remember who the main poster was - Castle Farm, I think?

I've been offered a supply of whole barley, so I thought I'd investigate grain only diets. Our hens free range over three big pens (each has 10m2 per hen) on a rotation, so they have access to fresh grass, bugs etc.

Anyone any experience of this, tips, information?

[SallyintNorth]

Only to say that our completely free-range hens get only mixed corn from me.  I stopped giving them layers' pellets in fear of naughty ponies getting into the sack and the hens seem absolutely fine.

Mind, they are of course at liberty to peck at spilled lamb pellets, cattle mix, etc, as they find it about the farm, and I can't say how much or little of that they do take.

[deepinthewoods]

mine were on  grain only, free ranging tho, all fine and great eggs.

[Fowlman]

Mine range over an acre and are fed wheat only this time of year, lots of eggs and healthy birds.    Come winter they get wheat, barley and a little maize, once a week in the real cold weather i add some cod liver oil.

[MikeM]

interesting topic. Our little flock also free range and I notice that they barely touch they're layer pellets. They go mental for corn in the afternoons though. I think we will try a grain only diet when this bag of pellets is gone.

[Bionic]

MikeM you have taken the words right out of my mouth.  Mine love their grain, much more so than the pellets. If I change over completely to grain when this lot of pellets is gone it would also mean I don't need to worry about keeping the food seperate. 
Sally

[kaz]

Mine are feed mixed corn (which seems to give the yolks of the eggs a lovely yellow colour) and will eat that rather then layers pellets, which I tend to avoid giving  as the goats always seem to be able to find that and it gives them an awful dose of something runny and is not good for them.

[Rosemary]

Ours have free access to layer pellets and probably go through three bags a week plus they get some mixed corn in the afternoon. They look well and are laying well but a) I've got a source of cheap / free feed and b) the layer pellets do seem to have things added.

If the two flocks were the same, I'd change one and see if performance dropped, but they aren't.

They certainly like the corn and I suspect that they would eat it in preference to layer pellets but I was taught that the corn made them fat and should only be a treat?

[deepinthewoods]

i think chickens are self regulating, ive yet to see an obese one.

[chrismahon]

Too low on protein I think Rosemary as with such a small ranging area you can't assume any significant protein intake from that. You need to maintain at least 15% to get full egg laying. So you either increase the area to increase the grubs or suppliment their diet with sunflower seeds, mealworms and the like. Don't know to hand what the actual protein level of Barley is. It will vary anyway but it's likely to be less than 10%.

[clydesdaleclopper]

The best source of info on diet is in Ussery "The Small Scale Poultry Flock" which is a wonderful source of info. He has great ideas of how to grow your own protein to supplement the grain - using wormeries and fly larvae. If you can get hold of a copy it is well worth it 

[Fowlman]

Mixed corn quite often has too much maize in it rosemary, better off feeding straight wheat or adding your own maize at the quantity you want. Layers pellets is made up of mostly ground wheat with added vits and minerals.

[jaykay]

Too low on protein I think Rosemary as with such a small ranging area you can't assume any significant protein intake from that. You need to maintain at least 15% to get full egg laying

That would be my thought. Truly free-range chooks can find their own protein though.

As for them preferring corn to layers pellets, well yes they certainly do. I prefer icecream to meat and cabbage too but it doesn't mean I should be eating icecream all the time 

[rikkib]

years gone by all the hens free range of course were fed nothing but wheat all year untill they slowed down laying <moult>etcthen we introduced mixed corn boiled spuds with lots of pepper but then there was not the incredible amounts of pellets<maybe one or two>supplements wormers seems we are all being taken in by drug and food companies stating they can perform miracles      i even seen a fox repellant sold by one company would not take a chance with that but i am sure some people have maybe old fashioned but i know of only one detterant and it makes a bang

[dyedinthewool]

My lot have been on Grain feed since I read what was in Pellets. I like them to have as natural diet as possible.  I do a mix of 2 barley - 4 wheat- 1.5 cut maize (1.5 pt jug), a couple of teaspns of Poultry Spice a shake of either garlic flakes or linseed meal with a couple of capfuls of codliver oil well mixed.  They free range over all the paddocks as long as the grass isn't too long, scratch over the dung heap -plenty of worms in that, do get meal worms as a treat now and then.
Beautiful golden yolks and happy hens - can't get enough eggs to keep my customers happy so  going to get some Black Rocks and Marans to up my little flock seeing as my Cockeral seems not to be fertile this year - is it due to the weather fluctuations - anyone else have this problem. ?