Feeding recommendations for free-range poultry are very different than they were “back in the day.” In the past, feeding recommendations for free-range poultry have varied from farm to farm.
The free-range chickens were fed kitchen table scraps, whole or ground corn, and anything else they could catch, including rodents, insects, and anything else they could run over. They also toured the farm and, at mealtimes, collected the grain that the cows, horses, etc. They can also be counted on to clean up any scraps left in the feeding tubs of these animals.
But the feeding recommendations for free-range poultry weren’t set in stone because farmers were happy with the number of eggs their hens were producing. A young hen can usually be counted on to produce 5 or 6 eggs each week. In those days, the hens usually started laying around February and stopped sometime around October or November. On average, a hen would lay 145 days a year and not the 310 days a year that is expected now.
But times have changed and even free-range or pastured chickens are fed corn and soybeans unless they are raised organically. For the hens to lay 310 days a year, they must be fed with cereals so that they have enough energy to lay that number of eggs. That’s why the eggs you get at the store are usually not as flavorful and the color of the yolk is much lighter than those from small farm-raised free-range hens.
Feeding recommendations for free-range chickens by the small farmer or backyard breeder call for chickens to be as free-ranging as possible. During the summer months, the chickens will feed on insects, clovers, whatever flowers they like, and vegetables from the garden. I make it a point to plant additional plants of cherry tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and whatever else they like. They will gleefully eat the tips of carrot plants, pull bean sprouts out of the ground, and if I can shield them long enough, eat green beans right off the plants. They also decided they love pumpkins and decimated my crop. They will also consume almost any fruit you put on them, including watermelons, cantaloupes, etc.
In the winter, forage is not as available to them and I supplement their pelleted feed with vegetables and fruits from the grocery store. It’s not ideal but they love it.
I also recommend that you feed them pelleted feed because it is unlikely that your free-range hens will be able to consume enough vegetation and insects to get the proper amount of protein to be able to lay eggs regularly.
