Alfalfa pellets for chickens?

[cherig22]

And I always wet it because it swells a bit.

Cheri

 

[Akane]

If they were small enough the birds can eat them whole they wouldn't need to be wetted down any. Normal food sources (hay pellets, rice, beet pulp) will not swell the same inside the animal and will not cause any harm. They merely absorb extra water and can easily be compressed to squeeze that water out as well. You'd have to go with some nonfood items to find something that swells to the point of being harmful.

They will not replace chicken feed and their protein level is not the same as the animal proteins usually included in chicken feed. Chickens are not herbivores. They cannot live on alfalfa hay or greens and don't digest them as well as grazing animals that do live on these things. Make sure they have enough grit or they won't digest much of it at all. Even ignoring that the vitamins and minerals would not be at the proper ratios for chickens. Chicken feed is balanced for chickens. Alfalfa pellets would be a great supplement especially in winter when there are no greens and are fairly high in plant proteins and calcium but they are not a replacement food source. I would not mix the 2 but offer the pellets in 2 seperate containers and probably not leave unlimited amounts out all the time unless they are still eating more chicken feed than alfalfa pellets.

 

[Beekissed]

I buy rabbit pellets to mix with my laying mash in the winter. They love it and they do just fine.

 

[BroncoHollow]

I have alfalfa and grass hay, I give the girls a couple of handfulls as a treat a couple of times a week...I have wild lettuce also that I pull year round and toss to the girls too - they love it!

 

[Cschrisd]

They don't love the alfalfa but they will eat it. I had a huge spike in the quality and quantity of my eggs after introducing the alfalfa. When i stopped giving them it my egg production dropped in half. Alfalfa is like 20% protein. I'm sold on it. Plus it's typically cheap. After giving them it their yolks turned almost red, very dark orange and delicious as we'll.

 

[danahud]

I use fermented feed could I add the alfalfa pellets to my layer feed and ferment them together? I like the idea of the added plant proteins for the chickens, since they should be out free ranging anyway.

 

[KuroKitsune]

I use fermented feed could I add the alfalfa pellets to my layer feed and ferment them together? I like the idea of the added plant proteins for the chickens, since they should be out free ranging anyway.

i add about a cup to my FF and its seems to be just fine and the chickens love it

 

[danahud]

do you find it helps with the color of your yolks? Mine haven't been very vibrant lately. Probably due to the fact that vegetation hasn't grown in for them to munch on yet.

 

[cjpines]

Hey all

Do you soak the alfalfa pelletts or just give them dry?

Mike

My chickens won't eat it dry, I put it in the blender and still won't eat it. I'm soaking the pellets now and will see what happens.

 

[duckie mama]

I use the alphalfa cubes. the rabbits get 1 cube each dry. and then soak about 6 or so cubes 3 times a week as treats for the chickens. they love it as they cannot freerange curtesy of the coyotes.