alfalfa cubes?

[Opa]

I tried alfalfa pellets and my birds wouldn't touch them. I still have some pellets in one feeder that have been in there for 3 months. Next time the feeder is out of layer pellets I need to clean out the alfalfa and toss it.

 

[halo]

I feed my horses premium alfalfa hay. I always take what falls off the bale and gather it up, and throw it in the pens. They go nuts over the leaves. That is the trick with alfalfa and chickens. Sometimes I have an end of the bale that got a little wet or brown that I wont feed the horses; I throw the entire flake in the pens, and they go nuts. Stand on top of it picking and scratching until all that is left is the sticks; all the leaves are gone.

If you can get real good high quality premium alfalfa, thats very leafy and fine, you could buy a whole bale for your chickies and just toss a little bit each day. A bale would last a while, depending on how many pigs, er, I mean chickens, you have.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I feed the cubes in the winter. I soften them with warm water & throw wet piles of it in the run with a trowel (little piles). They scratch thru it all day & by nightfall only the little pieces of stems are left. Never tried itin a tray or container.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

The leaves of the alfalfa plant is where all the protein is.If you could buy just compressed alfalfa leaves alone, I bet they would eat them like bread slices.

 

[KDbeads]

Well, I dumped the mush out of the trays this morning.... the reds started working on them just a little. The EE's had a blast though, they tore them up in no time. The silkies are too busy talking to them

 

[fiberart57]

I bought a bale of premium horse hay to cover the snow in their run as well as to provide them with greens. They love it! They eat the dried leaves, slightly dampened from sitting on the snow, and fling the stems and the rest around to mulch down. I only put a flake down, there's more for the rest of the year.

I also get dollar bags of organic produce from the grocery story on occasion and chop it up for them.

Mary

 

[HBuehler]

Ours love alfalfa cubes..we always have them because it's what we feed our horses..however the chickens don't like it if you get it wet...dampen it just enough so you can break it apart better with your hands.If it gets wet they will look at it until it is dried.Mine don't like alfalfa pellets at all..if they could they would throw them at us one pellet at a time.

 

[angels4]

I found this on www.moonlightmileherbs.com and am going to give it a try. I know it seems like alot of work but with the lack of greens available because of the snow it is worth it to keep the girls warm and healthy. Maybe the cubes could be used to make the tea and added to the waterers.

Alfalfa (or Nettle can be subsituted) is an excellent herb to give to our birds during the winter months. Especially in the north, where greens are non-existant unless you buy them, and greens are probably limited in the south as well. You can give alfalfa hay as a supplement during the winter, but I feel they don't eat enough of it to make a big enough boost to their system. But tea in their water will give them a concentrated amount that I know they will get. Particularly during harsh weather, this tea helps them tremendously with what the cold weather saps from their energy trying to stay warm. It will boost protein levels which will convert into accessible energy to raise body temps. And, they need the "greens" for their diet to stay balanced. Even once a month it will be of great benefit for your poultry. Visit the alfalfa link on the the herbs page for more detailed benefits of alfalfa.

One flake of hay will yield about 3 gallons of tea. Put a flake in a bag and then close it, then squish it around to break it up so I can pack it into a pot.

Then take a big pot and stuff it full with the hay. Then fill the pot with water up to about 1 inch from the brim. Bring to a boil and let it gently simmer for one hour.

Then use a collander and strain.

When done, pour into gallon jugs to mix into waterers.

The ratio mix is 1 gallon of tea and 1 gallon or so of water. You will see a noticeable increase in alertness and energy levels. It's good stuff!

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
Yep yep yep - I feed my horse and goat a flake each of alfalfa in the evenings (they have a big round bale of hay to munch whenever they please) but the second those flakes hit the feeder or the barn floor, the chickens are all over it. There are dried up dead insects in the bales I have and the chickens are very quick to pick all of those out. (grasshopper jerky anyone?)

I have fed alfalfa pellets to my horse and goat last year when I ran out of alfalfa, and the chickens weren't impressed with those.