Arizona Chickens

[nurseshelly]

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Hi,
I'm sure if you call around you will find some feed stores that carry what you want. Higley Feed in Gilbert has organic feed but I don't know if that is near or far for you. I feed flax seeds (whole), or ground flax that is specifically for increasing omega content in eggs. They don't like the ground flax as much as the whole flax seeds though, so I think I won't buy that again. I'll just go to sprouts and get the bulk flax again. I also give them lots of greens, mostly weeds or grape leaves.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

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I agree with nurseshelly; provide your birds access to lots of greens. Even simple grass is good.

 

[CaroleW]

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I agree with nurseshelly; provide your birds access to lots of greens. Even simple grass is good.

I read somewhere that purslane (a weed very prevalent under my tiny kumquat tree surrounded by decomposed granite) is good for omega 3. I'm not sure where I saw this online (maybe on the world's healthiest foods database? or in a Mother Earth News article?). I asked my husband to stop spraying the weed and he never has done it until we got the chickens in May since he knows I feed the weeds to them.

Please do your own research on this as I'm definitely not an expert on chickens, chicken nutrition or egg qualities.

 

[constance]

Quote:
I agree with nurseshelly; provide your birds access to lots of greens. Even simple grass is good.

I read somewhere that purslane (a weed very prevalent under my tiny kumquat tree surrounded by decomposed granite) is good for omega 3. I'm not sure where I saw this online (maybe on the world's healthiest foods database? or in a Mother Earth News article?). I asked my husband to stop spraying the weed and he never has done it until we got the chickens in May since he knows I feed the weeds to them.

Please do your own research on this as I'm definitely not an expert on chickens, chicken nutrition or egg qualities.

Purslane is tasty! My pullets loved it when they were only 5 or 6 weeks, but they now turn it down in favor of grass. My hens won't touch it. We also eat it. I use it in tabbouleh, salads, and make verdolagas (sauteed with green chile, onion, and sometimes pork or bacon). Yum!

 

[nurseshelly]

Quote:
I agree with nurseshelly; provide your birds access to lots of greens. Even simple grass is good.

I read somewhere that purslane (a weed very prevalent under my tiny kumquat tree surrounded by decomposed granite) is good for omega 3. I'm not sure where I saw this online (maybe on the world's healthiest foods database? or in a Mother Earth News article?). I asked my husband to stop spraying the weed and he never has done it until we got the chickens in May since he knows I feed the weeds to them.

Please do your own research on this as I'm definitely not an expert on chickens, chicken nutrition or egg qualities.

Purslane is edible for humans too. I have a small patch growing, they love it! They also get cow thistle (looks like dandelion but taller), spiny lettuce (long serrated leaves), dandelions, mallow, wild mustard, hibiscus leaves, grape leaves, grass clippings, and plants from a Russian Tortoise forage mix that I plant for the tortoises, but the chickens love it too. Right now most of the weeds are not doing so well, ditto for the RT seed mix. So now they are mostly getting grape leaves, grass clippings, hibiscus leaves, and the purslane. They are funny because they won't eat the hibiscus flowers because of the color ... they are totally edible so it's funny.

One odd thing is the cow thistle and spiny lettuce are from England, but they get imported in seed, and end up all over here as weeds, usually in prior farm land (which ours was).

The tortoise mix has: Crimson Clover, Red Clover, Plantain, Turf Fescue, Orchard Grass, Fescue, Creeping Red, Chia, Chicory, Turnip Greens, Timothy grass, and Kentucky Bluegrass. Every plant eating animal I have LOVES the chicory. The chicks all love the Chia.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I have purslane sprouting up all around the yard again!

The chickens ate all that I had that wasn't protected. The plants that were protected behind wire are trimmed as far as they can reach, they really like it. I've been holding off on feeding it to the family until I can get enough seeds to make sure that it will persist in the yard (after I previously eradicated it

). I occasionally eat the raw leaves and I think we're going to like it too.

 

[Mahonri]

WOW! After reading all you went through. CONGRATULATIONS!

So these eggs came from Austria and are Large Fowl?

They are BEAUTIFUL!

Sulmatalers WOW!

I'm hoping I can get a pair of them in a couple of years... I'd even drive to Wickenburg!....

 

[CaroleW]

They are funny because they won't eat the hibiscus flowers because of the color ... they are totally edible so it's funny.

Yes mine will eat the zuchinni but not the edible blossoms (too scary and colorful like the hibiscus flower). My hens liked the spiny lettuce alot but it is not putting out leaves now- just a stalk with very few leaves. They also like another broadleaf creeping weed I think it has tiny fuscia flowers (it is in our alley- but also I found one plant under the water spigot that is doing very well.)

So I take them a bouquet of all these weeds and the old lettuce and carrot tops from the garden and it's better than a salad bar to them! They go crazy for it!​

 

[mclevinson]

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Higley feed has organic layer or crumble starter feed.

 

[mclevinson]

Could somebody take a nice close shot of Purslane and post it? I want to make sure I'm thinking of the right plant. Mine has tiny yellow flowers and is succulent.