HYPOTHETICAL DISCUSSION: What to feed your chickens when we can't buy chicken feed anymore

This is what I am thinking: If I raise rabbits and chickens together: rabbits will create protein from grass, and chicken will eat rabbit meat (protein): problem solved.

Missa; To be fair to you, in the WILD most wolves will kill dogs. It's very rare for a dog/wolf or wolf/coyote hybrid to exist in the wild. Wolves are quite dedicated to their own kind. But it HAS happened when other wolves were hard to find or there was just tons of dogs around. And until recently it was thought that wild wolves NEVER bred with anything but. We now know that's not quite the case.

Many people in domestic situatiosn breed dogs with wolves or coyotes on purpose, though. And their offspring is completely fertile. There's not much of a genetic difference between most canines.

Everything I've read on guinea pigs has said they're one of the best no-supplement meat sources. Even rabbits can't get by with modern production levels on just grass but guinea pigs can!

If you do supplement, you supplement with water and a little ACV. Not too hard to make happen!

I'm thinking zombies! They'll be plentiful, easily obtained & high in protein. Sorry, couldn't resist.

marktoo said:

I'm thinking zombies! They'll be plentiful, easily obtained & high in protein. Sorry, couldn't resist.

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Lisa

marktoo said:

I'm thinking zombies! They'll be plentiful, easily obtained & high in protein. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Click to expand...

"Zombie kill of the week goes to Sister Cynthia Knickerbocker." - Zombieland

I wonder if you can train one of those things to pull a plow? hehe

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned milk. Those with milking animals would have a good source of protein. Of course, you still have to feed the milking animals.

I read in one thread that dried beans was bad for chickens so I have not fed mine any but then, I have been scared to feed then any cooked food. Any suggestion of table scraps that are good for chickens. and BTW, my chickens hate apples. Wonder whats up with that. Maybe I have fed them too many tomato scraps.

marktoo said:

I'm thinking zombies! They'll be plentiful, easily obtained & high in protein. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Click to expand...

lol--the walking dead

Annasg said:

I read in one thread that dried beans was bad for chickens so I have not fed mine any but then, I have been scared to feed then any cooked food. Any suggestion of table scraps that are good for chickens. and BTW, my chickens hate apples. Wonder whats up with that. Maybe I have fed them too many tomato scraps.

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everyone has spoiled chickens, this was the 1st year I was able to get them to eat table scraps--we kind of made it a game from the breakfast room window. we started out with bread--they jumped up and grabbed it and ran off. now we are up to scraps of watermelon, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, peaches, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, grapes(holy crap you should see the rooster pop a whole grape down, hilarious) corn on the cob empties, basically any fruit or vegie I use to throw the scraps in the garbage go out the window now. we have crap loads of apple trees here, so the apples are falling now and they are eating them very well. my feed bill is down by over half right now but winter is coming.... my daughter fed one of the chickens cooked chicken(it loved it)--ethically I was in a quandary(but they do eat egg)- but they have ate cooked beef and pork, macaroni and cheese, left over rice that the dog didn't get--pieces of left over lunch sandwiches, stale potato chips, corn chips, peanut butter crackers, (stale cereal they were not fond of- but pecked at it)
I have been trying a variety of things-- I just don't feed spoiled--
just get a spot that they know its treat time and start experimenting--when they hear the window crank open at my house, its like watching mini raptors run from every direction to see who gets there first for the treats.
fyi--yes, I free range, yes, I have predators, but since I keep everyone locked up at night now like fort drum, I only had 3 issues this year so far(knock on wood) in the country on 13 acres--I have lost over the years-ducks to fox, owls, bobcats, snapping turtles, minx, raccoon, and have lost chickens to fox, coyote and red tail hawks and bald eagles--it took a while but I learned by trial and error what seemed to work well--my rooster sweet as he is will face down a coyote and fox(some day he will be someone's dinner because he is so brave)
well, there it is.---thanks redneckgurl for pointing out this discussion! we all have to prepare and at least have ideas on what we are going to do when tshtf!!