bairo,
I never could get mine to eat alfalfa cubes. I have used alfalfa meal in the past mixed in with the feed. I do that when I've got them up while the hen yard is recovering.
Understand that I am nowhere as cold as y'all, but I do feed much differently.
I feed 16% protein all year to those in pens or on tie-cords. The only birds that get a higher protein content is the chicks.
In winter I feed a lot of Whole Oats. Actually, 50% of the feed is Whole Oats from...