[timtheenchanteruk]

Ive started letting my ladies out during the day to free roam the garden, they seem to really love it, so far no destruction, they have made dust baths under the shrubs, but thats fine.

my query is, now they are free roaming, their pellet consumption as dropped (to about  1/4 of what it was, do I need to restrict their free ranging, to get them to eat more pellets, or will they be getting a good enough diet from the garden?

[joyfull]

mine free range all the time, besides their layers and mixed corn they find loads to eat elsewhere - seeds, grass, leaves, fruit, my veg etc so don't worry - ask anybody who has seen my birds they are in very good shape and condition 

[binghamd]

They are happy doing just what nature intended. You are saving money as well.
Let them enjoy themselves in the garden as long as you can. Better happier healthier hens.

[Lindeggs]

I agree with the others - let the chickens choose what they want to eat.  Mine free-range full time and they eat a lot of grass and weeds.  On cold or rainy days they spend less time foraging and more time in their coop, so they eat more food from their hopper on those days.

The only thing I would add is to make sure your girls have plenty of shell grit available to them.  Commercial rations contain a lot of calcium for egg-shell production, and if your girls are eating less of the commercial food and more forage, they might not be able to find enough calcium.

Then just let them do what comes naturally.   

[timtheenchanteruk]

cheers, puts my mind at rest, Ive scattered some grit in the borders today,  so that should sort the grit problem, their favourite place today is infront on the compost bin, must be some interesting treats in there!!

The corn I have at the moment also has shell grit in it, which they get in an evening as I shut the up for the night.

must be happy enough, my second bird has started laying today

[Dominic]

I'm sure I read somewhere chickens can have up 75% of their diet as grass.

So if they're eating a quarter of what they were, that would seem to fit

[Beano]

I'm glad you asked that question timtheenchanteruk (hell of a long name) because I've been fretting a little because mine dont seem to eat much pellets. I know why now.