Suggestions for Supplementary Feed for Free Range Chickens?

Students of Geoff’s Online Permaculture Design Course have question-and-answer sessions where Geoff fields a number of questions every week and answers them via videos. This question was pulled from the 2021 collection. For an in-depth dive into all things permaculture, check out the free Masterclass www.discoverpermaculture.com
Question
Do you have any suggestions for the best ways to supplement the feed of chickens who range? Would you provide feed all day or only a certain amount of time? We are learning how to do this as we go. We have our chickens currently grazing our cover crops through the vineyards and olive orchards, it isn't as balanced as a diet as your video mentions, so we supplement a raw seed feed throughout the day for them to have a choice and get a balanced diet. The chickens themselves are new to rotational grazing and are pretty dependent on the feed as that is what they are accustomed to.
Key Takeaways
If chickens are on the range, they won’t need much. For more egg production, you can supplement their feed. There are lots of ways to do it: worm farms, attract insects, lay down sheets of iron/tin and pull them up, black soldier larvae farms, maggot farms, fly traps, and compost. You can also forage for them. They’ll get used to the range. If they aren’t getting feed, they will scratch more and find food. You could put in a feed crop as well. It’s more a matter of getting more eggs or not.
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Geoff is a world-renowned permaculture consultant, designer, and teacher that has established demonstration sites that function as education centers in all the world's major climates. Geoff has dedicated his life to spreading permaculture design across the globe and inspiring people to take care of the earth, each other, and to return the surplus.
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Permaculture integrates land, resources, people and the environment through mutually beneficial synergies - imitating the no waste, closed loop systems seen in diverse natural systems. Permaculture applies holistic solutions that are applicable in rural and urban contexts and at any scale. It is a multidisciplinary toolbox including agriculture, water harvesting and hydrology, energy, natural building, forestry, waste management, animal systems, aquaculture, appropriate technology, economics and community development.
#permaculture #permaculturedesign #chickens

[@rebeccajosteelman563]

Thanks Geoff. When I get my homestead in a great location, I'll always refer back to your videos teaching good, effective practices and land/animal stewardship. 🙏❤

[@sustainablelivingtv]

I've been planting green clover everywhere and they really enjoy that. They also enjoyed my sorrel plant to the point that I had to cover it with a cage. I keep adding perennial greens and it seems to take the pressure off of other crops. They also like to eat the mycelium from King Stropharia. Their disturbance in the springtime (just before a big rain) seems to spur more mushroom growth.

[@gavinhall3669]

Chickens love Kikuyu lawn clippings fron Mowing. I have no idea what extra nutrients they get from it but they really go for it big time. They also love Borage, Comfrey, Kale & any leaves from the Broccoli & Cabbage Family.

[@zachlloyd9392]

Great ideas here Geoff. I am looking at planting rye to create my own straw mulch in my raised beds. Rye is dirt cheap, I wonder if the chickens would eat the rye seed heads as I plan on cutting those off so I don't seed Rye into my raised beds..... or I could do that on purpose over winter. Lots of options and possibilities. I am so glad I caught wind of Permaculture, it is so freeing to not be locked into the traditional farming/gardening methods.

[@lorkson]

Fermented grains work for my chickens really well.

[@lorkson]

I've found success on a smaller scale having areas covered in thick wood much and left for about 6 months. When the chickens are let loose on it it's full of bugs which is a nice protein snack to supplement the plant material.

[@kirsten4896]

This is so much good info in 4 minutes I can't believe it

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

In the fall there was ten weeks of no rain, and in the rainy winter/spring the chickweed had filled in all the bare spots. Pulling out the chickweed revealed a ton of other seedlings establishing under it while the ground was kept moist, and the large volume of chickweed was used to fill in trenches, which sank down a lot as chickweed is a lot of water. Right now the weeks of rainy overcast are establishing all the seedlings.

[@aron8949]

I like to give them a portion in the morning and evening when I’m out there in the yard and that way they finish it all and don’t leave any for the mice!

[@Christodophilus]

Depends how long term, you're designing for too. My grandfather ran animals, with the old hedgerow system. Meaning land was set aside along fields, to plant a thicket of brambles. Some edible to humans, other meant only for animals. It provided a windbreak, shade, moved nutrients around the property, and enabled interactive relationships with wild animals for pest management on domestic livestock. Wherever you can grow a thicket of plants, you have a natural source of food (and medicine) for the animals.

[@jamesb7150]

Why is this channel not called Geoff My Lawn? Love what you do. Just saying

[@GSBMxyz]

Love your channel and excellent advice. I live in South America but hope to follow a course one day at Zaytuna farm. Saludos!

[@burheembakr352]

Keep’em coming

[@mojavebohemian814]

Thank you

[@quiksilver1j]

Great content as always Geoff .. John from online PDC class #1 2013! Checking in

[@ProfESOrr-im5su]

Olives, especially Californian Queen ( UC13A6) here in Vic, Aussie are #1 best. Lots of oil in the dead of Winter is a perfect lead up to egg laying. Add protein in Spring (soft shelled Almonds). Grapes on the other hand are #1 worst. Separate chickens and grapes, or crush the grapes. Exploding chicken stomachs are not pretty or useful. Sounds like you're supplementing too much. They will learn, especially if you teach them what to eat. Mix what you want them to eat with the supplements. They get bored with eating too much fruit.

[@lee-andrebeyers7727]

Hey G, I wonder. Would it be possible to raise grain free or zero input chicken if you feed them tree crop like nuts and fruits. If so, what kind of trees would you recommend if one assumes the climate allows for it(haven't chosen a location yet). Hope you see this, Warm regards Lee

[@andylyon3867]

Milk with grain soaked in it is the best. Keep in mind chickens are designed to eat seeds.

[@osmanbussines1813]

💫💫💫

[@AaronPetterborg]

"If you want more eggs..." THE SHADE

[@joshdoyle182]

When you consider that all other life-forms near Mr. Lawton seem to be working at least two jobs, his popularity becomes harder to understand. j/k

[@TheVigilantStewards]

We will never use them for eggs or meat, we just want them for fertility engine in the chicken tractor and patrolling around for snakes

[@mariaspitzer6034]

I have seen already some videos of you. how you treat the animal I would suggest you better stick to plants. They generally are in small cages with no quality of life. that cannot be the idea of permaculture. the idea is to find a niche for them where they can live free as we do.

[@jonerlandson1956]

good questions?... microgreens for forage...