Alfalfa, kick starts egg laying for me every time

[jmagill]

Only one hen has been laying for the last two weeks. She is a BLRW/light Sussex cross. The coronation and light Sussex hens have stopped. I have light too increase the daylight but we have had very cold weather this fall.

Just as I have done the last three years, I started feeding alfalfa that has accumulated from the bales we are feeding the horses. A mix of stocks and leaves. Two days later and the others have started laying.

 

[cackleberrycoop]

Awesome. I learned last year to have a bale or two handy throughout the winter months; any time I get the feeling that the flock is struggling to maintain, I toss them some of the green stuff for a few days and it does wonders!! I had read somewhere about making them a tea out of alfalfa and tried that as well, but I gave it too them too warm (seemed like a good idea a the time) and the steam that settled on the rooster's combs froze and I ended up mercy killing one poor boy as a result...... Otherwise, I'm sure it would have been a very healthy thing for them.

 

[Fiddlehead]

I totally believe you because there is an article in Backyard Poultry discussing winter laying. They mentioned alfalfa hay as well as cod liver oil, lime whitewash inside the coop, green legumes, collards, kale, lettuce, cabbage, suet and of course additional light. They did caution not to overdo it or make lots of changes on your birds. There was another article that gave directions on how to use bean sprouts as supplement, growing them from the mung bean in big containers. It was interesting! Glad to hear you are having success, I think I will try some alfalfa! Thanks : )

 

[Dutch552]

My girls always end up in the barn during the wintertime and I find them scratching in the alfalfa/timothy hay and their production is excellent in the winter months. I can see where the extra protein in the green alfalfa would cause this.

 

[Tracydr]

I use it in my coop, all the stuff that falls off the bales I feed the horses. It's basically my bedding.
I also have mustard and kale planted and they get a big salad everyday.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Where would one get alfalfa?

 

[cackleberrycoop]

Quote:
Those must be HAPPY birds.

 

[vsmenagerie]

Have any of you use alfalfa pellets with good luck? Any tricks? Mine wont eat the pellets..but they love hay. Im going to try making a mash of the pellets and mixing it into their feed..

 

[Ariel301]

I started incorporating alfalfa pellets into my birds' feed at a pretty high rate. They won't eat them whole, at least the ones I get, because they're fairly large, being meant for bigger livestock to eat. I soak them in water or leftover whey from cheesemaking until they're a mush and then mix that into the grains when I fill the feeder. They don't like it as much as picking the leaves out of a nice fresh bale of hay, but they do eat it well. It also is fairly cheap.

 

[annep]

I am so going to try that..we have alfalfa pellets for our rabbits, and then the bales too..Ill give it a shot..Bet they'd like it..High in protein too