Anyone NOT feeding commercial pelleted/mash feed to your layers?

[Kassaundra]

I am trying oats right now, when I went to the feed store the peas were quite expensive but the oats were affordable, since I am just trying it out wanted to try on the lesser priced one first. I went to the fabric store and bought some burlap and made 4 simple sacks, marked them 1-4 (rotation of 4 days hope that is enough). I soak the sack in the water overnight, then that next morning that sack will go in a 5 gall bucket (sack and all). Each morning I'll put the new sack at the bottom of the bucket, hopefully I'll have big enough sprouts in 4 days when the top sack will be ready. I'm soaking sack 3 tonight, I'll post if it works or not.

 

[HorizonSon]

I should have a healthy crop of comfrey by next Spring... My plans are to grow chickweed below the comfrey. I also plan to cultivate duckweed in a large container of some kind. Black Soldier Flies are on the list this Spring as well... I'll be looking into growing buckwheat and ameranth (fingers crossed)... Between the mentioned and free-ranging, I hope to have my bases covered for a totally "commercial feed free" flock

Oh; and I live on the coast and hope to be harvesting kelp to add trace minerals to out depleted soil.

Wish me success!

ETA: And dwarf sunflower too

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Please tell me, What preservatives?
It is a high protein supplement made by either cooking, pressing, drying and grinding of fish or fish waste to which no other matter has been added. It is a solid product from which most of the water is removed and some or all of the oil is removed.

Chris

 

[Cindy in PA]

Quote:
Please tell me, What preservatives?
It is a high protein supplement made by either cooking, pressing, drying and grinding of fish or fish waste to which no other matter has been added. It is a solid product from which most of the water is removed and some or all of the oil is removed.

Chris

Doesn't some fishmeal have ethyquoxin (SP?) in it?

 

[Kassaundra]

An update on the sprouts. It has worked out great. It literally has only taken moments a day to care for them. The buckets and burlap sacks worked perfectly, by day 4 the seeds had sprouted wonderfully, no additional rinsing, no rancid smell, no mold, and when I left the chicken run the girls were happily munching away on their sprouts.