Alfalfa Cubes for Chickens? UPDATE

[PrairieChickenLady]

Mine love their alfalfa mash. I've been feeding them daily this winter. I soak them until they are soft and break apart, approximately 1/3 cubes to 2/3 water. They at least double in size.

Originally I thought they might eat them dry, they are too hard to peck apart and they quickly lost interest.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I have used rabbit food instead of alfalfa cubes (pretty well the same thing) to supplement my chickens' regular feed. I too had to soak it in hot water to get them to eat it. Only I fed their whole ration in this manner. You would think that the chickens were going to trample each other from the stampede that resulted when feeding this way. Do be careful because if it sits too long it can mold or ferment on you. About 8 hours is plenty of time for everything to soak up as much water as it can easily take. Sometimes I added milk replacer, blood meal along with vitamin powders and minerals to the menu. Like the previous poster suggested a two to one ratio of boiling water to chicken feed seems about right. I just added boiling water to my feed until I thought it could absorbed no more.

The reason I did this is because my birds left the rabbit food (aka alfalfa) laying on the ground and green things were in short supply.

 

[Muffett]

My chickens like them too. I buy them for the rabbits.

Recently we bought a bag of "fresh mixed greens" from the grocery store, just for the birds and rabbits.

The rabbits threw the "greens" out of their cages, and the hens and geese wouldn't even touch them.

All of them, however, find great delight in my garden produce.

I was thinking about putting rabbit food pellets out for the hens/geese this winter, along with their food. I too would like to know what others are doing to provide "green stuff" for their flocks in the winter.

I am growing bean sprouts for my chickens. Very easy. They love them. For the babies I put them in my chopper first. Now at 3 months they eat them without me chopping. You have the choice of how big you want them. Usually a week after initial soaking they are ready and fill the quart jar I grew them in. I order the seeds online.

 

[John F]

Quote:

Are ya'll referring to Alfalfa hay and break it up ? wher e do you buy it , I am thinking feedstore ?

I'm not interested in buying a bale of alfalfa. (It would be strewn everywhere!) I just want to feed the Alfalfa Cubes...

Yes you can buy pelletized alfalfa at your feet score I buy it soak it in water overnight it will triple in size and then put it out for the chickens they don't gobble it up but they do eat it well