January through June- I put all my birds on a strict breeder ration. I don't use treats, except for a pocketful of whole corn that I hand feed to whoever will accept it. That's one big Carhartt coat pocketful split between 100 or so birds. Maybe a pound or so if you weighed it. It's mostly for keeping the birds friendly, really. If the nights are very cold, I'll give them a little more. Corn makes fat, and fat makes heat, and that's what they need for those cold winter nights. I am trimming them down this time of year, purposely taking fat off the birds slowly. Not by decreasing their feed, but by changing their diet. When the weather is decent, they don't get any corn at all. I supplement with spinach as soon as it comes out of the ground. The vitamin K it provides is key for good hatching eggs. You want a nice, trim, exercised bird to make the best hatching eggs you can get. If there are any health issues, this is when I take care of them by medicating. In early spring as soon as the weather breaks, I start rotating birds out on free-range.

July through September - The gardens are overflowing, and this is the time of year the birds enjoy most. They get lots of watery vegetables. Cucumbers, spinach, tomatoes, lettuce, squash, corn on the cob, they love it all. This time of year, my feed bill is the lowest it ever gets. I give them pelletized layer feed free choice, and all the garden food they can handle. Spinach is their staple feed this time of year. They spend a lot of time in the yard and in our compost piles and strawberry patches. I only let one breed out of their runs each day to roam, but I build temporary fences to extend their runs at all the coops.

October through November -I continue feeding the birds Free-Choice layer pellets, and start adding cracked corn to the mix, at a rate of about 1 pound cracked corn to 50 pounds feed. I want to start putting winter fat on them, and make sure they have all the energy they need. ALL the birds are free range this time of year, earning their keep by cleaning up the gardens, and grinding up the compost that has been spread on the gardens. They do a fabulous job, and I don't have to run a tiller till spring.

When the gardens are closing out, I sometimes use cooked rice to supplement. It's very high in carbs. It blows straight through the birds, allowing them to store fat quickly. I'll likely get skewered for mentioning it because it's one of those "snacky" things that needs to be used in very small amounts for very short periods of time. The nutritional value is poor but the energy value is high. It's a good way to put "bad" bulk on your birds. It's very easy to overuse, and you shouldn't mess with it if you're not really up on nutritional values.

November-December - By this time, the birds have gathered all the winter weight they need, and I just try to maintain their body weight. They have eaten so much food from the garden, and had so much exercise, they are going to do very well through the cold months. I continue feeding layer pellets, cracked and whole corn. I increase and decrease the corn with the weather, and watch my birds for a level of fat that I'm comfortable with. I can't explain how to "see" fat, I can just tell by how "full" they appear. You never want a fat hen, just a healthy hen. Just as with birds, we men all like a little meat on our women. It's a true sign of healthiness and it points out a good breeder :)

If the birds get too fat, they will develop laying problems, most notably prolapse. It is a condition where their insides come out with the egg. It's not pretty, and 5 out of 10 times, it will ruin or kill a good bird.

Back to January again...Time to start all over. During the good weather you should have done all your work on your coops, and taken care of any problems with coops, space, holes, and everything else that crops up. Try to look ahead to next spring, and have facilities finished for birds you may wish to add. Around here, there is always more building and changing and fixing to do!!!

By Scott Shilala