Feeding Chickens for Free- Is it Safe?

What’s your biggest on-going chicken keeping expense? If I could hazard a guess, I would say it’s buying feed for your homestead flock. Many homesteaders grab at the chance to feed their flock free food. In fact, there are now many suggestions and ideas for how you can feed your homestead flock for free. But have you ever heard the saying, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is? Now that’s not always the case with free chicken feed, however, there are some myths that you should be aware of when it comes to feeding your homestead flock sources of ‘free’ food. Let’s see if feeding chickens for free is a safe option for the homestead flock or not.

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The Truth Behind ‘Free’ Chicken Feed

Truth #1.- ‘Free feed’ is almost never really free. You’ve always got to buy something, work a little harder, or drive to pick up items. For example….

…. to start growing fodder for your flock you have to buy the seeds and the equipment to start growing fodder…. if you want to try feeding your flock off your compost pile, you still have to maintain and turn that compost on a regular basis. Maybe you’re looking to try and get grocery store scraps or market leftovers. More than likely you still have to drive to pick the stuff up.

While all these small tasks may cost less than a bag of feed, are they still worth it? Which brings me to my next truth about free feed.

Truth #2.- Free feed can be unhealthy and unbalanced for your homestead flock. This is one of the biggest reasons why I don’t promote solely feeding your homestead flock free feed sources. Even if your saving your pocket book, if your flock’s health is suffering or if mortality rates are increasing in your flock, than it’s not worth it. You will just end up having to buy and raise more chickens to replace the ones you loose. Raising a healthy flock that is productive even as they age will save you more money. 

Why Free Chicken Feed Sources Don’t Work

The reason why feeding chickens for free doesn’t work is usually because free feed sources are often unhealthy for your flock. Chickens need certain nutrients in specific quantities in order to be healthy and productive. Now, I know that my flock’s ancestors, the red jungle fowl, didn’t have a specially formulated diet and they thrived just fine.

However, our modern day chickens are not like their ancestors and are now scattered all across the globe taking on many different sizes, shapes, and functions. There are also many sources of free food that our chickens can consume that would not have been part of a jungle fowl’s natural diet. Some free feed options are basically like dumping a big pile of fast food in front of your flock and telling your flock to pick out what they need in the right quantities.

Aside from being a free-for-all buffet, there are a few other factors to consider about free feed sources:

#1. Domestic Chicken Instincts

For the most part, chickens know what they need to eat in order to stay healthy. However, they are not above gorging on their favorite food sources if those foods are available in abundance. Since most of our chickens nowadays are so genetically removed from their ancestors, they don’t have all of the strong survival instincts needed for picking out the healthiest diet.

Most modern day chicken breeds have been bred and domesticated so much that they can not fend for themselves. They do not live in their ancestral environment and many of their wild survival skills have been bred out of them. That’s not to say that some modern breeds can’t fend for themselves better than others. It’s just that they may not thrive in that kind of situation.

We must also consider the sources of food and nutrition available to our modern homestead flocks compared to their wild ancestors sources of food.

#2. Unbalanced Consumption

Some chickens are like some people, they don’t know what’s good for them. They will gorge themselves on their favorite treat and not get the variety of nutrients they need. While there are still some modern chicken breeds that are pretty close to being wild, the majority of modern chicken breeds are easy-going, dependent breeds who thrive on a properly-formulated diet. They may be able to forage and free-range to supplement their diet, but they lack the instincts to eat the certain food substances that will get them the right balance of nutrition.

#3. Unbalanced Diet

Now it’s not all the chicken’s fault. If they are only provided with certain foods to eat, that’s what they have to consume. Even if the free feed source is supplied in addition to a formulated chicken feed, it is still diluting the overall nutrition that a chicken is consuming if the free feed source is not nutritious itself.

The free feed may be increasing the amount of one nutrient while decreasing the amount of another nutrient. This means that the diet is not well rounded and can lead to health issues caused by too much or too little of a certain dietary element. Dietary imbalances can be serious and can lead to death.

Note: Free Feeding or Free Feed?

Don’t confuse free-feeding with free feed. Free feeding is not the same as feeding your flock free food. Free-feeding refers to the method of having all of the different dietary elements offered separately, rather than mixed in a mash feed or compressed into a pellet. The chickens go from station to station, eating what they need of each dietary element.

There is also free-choice feeding, which is the method of ensuring your flock has access to their daily feed at all times. Free-choice feeding allows your flock to snack on their feed throughout the day to support their active lifestyle. Free feed and free-choice feeding are not the same, however, you can free-choice feed, free feed sources (say that three times fast).

The Dangers of Free Chicken Feed

Besides the fact that free food sources can cause dietary imbalances, the free foods themselves can actually be harmful for your flock too. Foods that are okay in small quantities or that are supplemented on occasion are not necessarily healthy for constant consumption.

For example, leftover dairy products are often used as a free food source. Dairy products can be offered in moderation and on occasion. However, they can cause digestive issues when fed in large quantities or on a regular basis. 

The unreliability of free foods can also cause a problem. A sudden introduction of large quantities of new foods in a chicken’s diet causes dietary upset and digestive health issues. The body is not acquainted with digesting the sudden new food substances and nutrients. A chicken’s gut bacteria and enzymes can be thrown out of wack.

Here are some common free feed ideas and the dangers that they present:

Dangerous Free Food Sources

• Grocery store leftovers– may be moldy or contain bacteria or fungi, must be aware of foods that should not be fed in large quantities
• Compost (manure)– an easy way for disease and parasites to be transferred if the compost is not maintained properly
• Fish– chickens are not meant to eat too much fish as their digestive systems are not meant for digesting large quantities of fish, however fish can be used as a supplement
• Roadkill– always a potential source of disease and parasites, biosecurity hazard
• Mice– a dangerous source of disease and parasites
• Butchering scraps/fishing scraps- often contain excess fat, may contain disease, can be given on occasion or as treats
• Mulch– consider it more like free range, not a complete source of nutrition
• Fruit/Berries– if given in excess the chickens will receive too much natural sugar, should only be used as treats
• Kitchen scraps- often contain unbalanced amounts of nutrients
• Leftover grains from farmers– can cause an imbalance of the grains already present in the flock’s diet or provide an unbalanced diet if fed as sole ration, can be used as treats or supplements instead

The bottom line is that no source of free feed is a complete source of the nutrients that a chicken needs on a daily basis. Even if different sources are used to add variety to the diet, there can still be a dietary imbalance of too much or too little of a certain dietary element. 

Free feed sources that are safe to offer on occassion include dairy in moderation, fish, butchering scraps, fruit & berries, and kitchen scraps.

Note on Free Protein Sources-

Since protein is one of the most expensive properties of chicken feed, many chicken raisers look for free sources of protein to give their chickens. Actually, many sources of free protein are the most dangerous. Fully understand the affects of protein on chickens before you start messing with the protein levels in your flock’s diet. You can also check out this list of responsible sources of protein for chickens. 

Homestead Sources of ‘Free Feed’

While truly free chicken feed may be a joke, there are some sources of food for your flock that can help you save money while still keeping your flock healthy. Technically, any additional food you give your flock could be considered ‘free food’. However, I have other definitions for those feeds. Instead of ‘free feed’, you can instead give your flock natural supplements, healthy snacks, treats, table scraps, and let them free-range.

Free-Range-

Free-ranging is the ultimate source of free food for the homestead flock! When you let your flock forage on their own, they can pick out what foods they want/need. And it’s all natural foods that they have to choose from! Pasturing or free-ranging your flock can allow them to consume part of their diet in natural foods and supplement the rest of their diet with the normal chicken feed you provide for them.

Sprouts and fodder are a good alternative to free-ranging when a flock needs to be confined.

Natural Supplements-

Supplements are anything additional you add into your flock’s diet. Use supplements with the goal of achieving a specific condition in your flock. Whether that’s to maintain overall good health or to heal an ailment or disease.

Treats-

Treats are any food substances you give your chickens on occasion without a specific purpose in mind. Table scraps are leftovers from the foods you eat, bake, cook, or otherwise prepare. Technically table scraps are treats. However, table scraps are often given on an as-available basis. Any treat you give your flock should be fed in moderation. Any single treat should not be fed on a regular basis or as the sole diet.

Healthy Snacks-

Healthy snacks are another form of treat you can give your homestead flock. However, healthy treats are actually add nutrition to your flock’s diet. Healthy snacks supplement your flock’s diet naturally and can be given on a daily basis. Still remember to keep them varied though! To learn more about what foods are considered healthy snacks for chickens, check out What Treats Can I Feed my Chickens Daily?

Is there a safe ‘free feed’ for chickens?

Supplements, treats, table scraps, and snacks can all be considered free feed since they are replacing a portion of your flock’s daily feed consumption. However, these foods can be more closely monitored to ensure they are comprising a safe portion of your flock’s diet. Supplements should be used properly, in the correct amounts, and only for a specific period of time. When offering table scraps, and treats, consider the frequency in which certain foods are given. Also consider what nutritional value they add to your flock’s diet.

Here are some suggestions for safe alternatives to free feed for your flock:

Free Feed Alternatives

• Free-Range- this is a great way to let your flock forage for their own needs as much as possible
• Growing Feed- you can grow grains and seeds to give your flock as treats or to use as supplements
• Garden Scraps– if you grow an organic garden, fresh produce adds nutrition to your flock’s diet when offered in moderation
• Fermented Feed– this is the best way to stretch your feed bag and actually increase the nutrition your flock receives
• Sprouts and Fodder– another great way to increase the nutrition in the grains and seeds that your flock eats, however, they should not be a substitute for complete feed rations
• Making Your Own Feed- this last option does not always save money and should only be done with the proper knowledge of a chicken’s dietary needs

Always make sure these suggestions are used along with a complete chicken feed. The feed should be formulated for the age, gender, and species of your flock. Learn how to use supplements properly before adding them to your flock’s diet. Also, make sure you know what foods are safe and what ones are not safe for chickens before giving your flock table scraps and treats. 

Is Feeding Chickens for Free Safe?

While free feed may sound enticing to take advantage of, think twice before deciding to sustain your flock with only sources of free food. Not only are many free feed sources not actually free, but they can also be dangerous to the health, productivity, and longevity of your homestead flock. Of course, you can still save money while raising a healthy flock of chickens! Homesteading is all about sustainability, and sustainability means raising your homestead flock naturally. Encouraging them to eat a varied, balanced, and natural diet can help cut back on feed costs. Free-ranging, garden scraps, and table scraps in moderation can add nutrition to your flock’s diet!

The pioneers had to be frugal, and they still raised productive chickens, so we can too! Become a modern pioneer with us and get tips for raising your flock naturally and sustainably without emptying your wallet!

by Alexa