A word fell out of my head. Please help me find it.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

What's the word for when a chicken is grazing or foraging?

 

[Laura Corin]

I love the word 'fossicking' but it's not chicken specific.

[Ausmumof3]

Foraging I would say is the best word. Otherwise maybe free ranging? 

[Melissa in Australia]

Moonscaping

At least that is what happens if they are out at my place. But we just have pure sand so any scratching just rips up the groundcover

 

[maize]

Scratching?

Pecking?

[wintermom]

free-range? 

[Terabith]

I would say either scratching, pecking, or foraging.  

If it's referring to a chicken that does these things, I'd say "free range" or pastured.  

I am interested to know if there's a better word, though!  I've never had chickens, so this isn't something that I talk about frequently.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 minute ago, Terabith said:

I would say either scratching, pecking, or foraging.  

If it's referring to a chicken that does these things, I'd say "free range" or pastured.  

I am interested to know if there's a better word, though!  I've never had chickens, so this isn't something that I talk about frequently.

What's frustrating here is that this is something I do talk about frequently.

I'm starting to wonder if there is no missing word 🤷‍♀️ 

 

[EKS]

ChatGPT thinks it's "scratching."

[Halftime Hope]

On a pastured eggs producers' blog:  https://www.peteandgerrys.com/blogs/field-notes/importance-of-letting-chickens-graze ... lots of verbs used here.