California - Northern

[OR4-hmom]

I suspect I lost a pullet to rhubarb. I had it covered with frost blanket but one of the girls got underneath, tossed her out and went on with my day. Later that afternoon I found her dead in the run. There was quite a bit of leaf damage to a couple of stalks but I'm not sure it was the same pullet.

Mine also eat the leaves on our tomatos, snow peas, cucumber plants, whatever we haven't secured like Fort Knox.

 

[liz9910]

I wouldn't give them too much credit................I remember last year SuperChemicalGirl posting about how her chickens ate all the sytrofoam board off her foundation of her house, literally every speck!

Alfalfa cubes are basically chopped hay, they will expand when wet. We used to buy them for my son's rabbits in 75# bags. You can also buy extruded alfafa pellets, those are way bigger than typical chicken pellets and would probably epand even easier. For that matter, you could supplement with rabbit pellets for the combo of hay/grain.

Deb

My chickens have eaten my lawn down to the ground, they obviously need some greenery. I know alfalfa has a lot of protein, how much do you usually feed the chickens? Do you soak the cubes until they are re-hydrated and then feed them to the chickens? Thank you.

 

[ronott1]

Quote: I give my hens half a cabbage or a green leafy veggie like kale each day. Today I gave them the solid left over from juicing carrots.

I am interested in how much alfalfa to give them. The person that does this re hydrates them with water.

 

[liz9910]

Ron you must go thru a lot of veggies lol

 

[juststruttin]

Chickens are usually pretty good at knowing what is bad for them. Mine ate the tomatoes but would not touch the leaves.

I did find this:

I've just realized that my green-starved chickens (or at least one of them) have been eating English ivy when they go out to forage now that the weather is a bit better. I know that it's toxic to them and will figure out a way to deal with limiting their access to it, but was curious whether I should throw out the eggs? Anyone have a sense of this?

Thanks!

Sadly, not one replied to his post. I doubt it would hurt the eggs.

I am thinking about getting some Alfalfa squares and wetting them for the chickens. Does anyone do this?

I have not, but I would suggest only giving them a few. We used to feed the horses cubed alfalfa and it gets moldy pretty fast once wet. What about rabbit pellets? I wonder what that has in it?

 

[debs_flock]

My chickens eat ivy and tomato leaves and I haven't lost one to poisoning yet. They eat almost everything green that they can reach. They have even cleared my yard of some pesky ice plant that was taking over the far back corner. At least they are earning part of their keep by keeping the ivy and ice plant under control! They sure aren't giving me eggs right now!

I let my turkeys run in the garden after it was finished. They never touched a single one of the tomatoes I hadn't bothered to pick. They have all been knocked down to the ground and are just lying there. But there is not a single leaf left on any of the vines, 11 5-6 foot tall vines picked clean by 13 turkeys. I need to let some of the chickens in, they will finish off the tomatoes from the raised beds.

Quote:
I haven't used them, but I'd seen how they expand when one would get wet when we had them for the rabbits. I actually thought about just getting some rabbit pellets and adding them into the mix of stuff I throw as treats (scratch, BOSS, calf manna, oyster shell).

Today I gave them the solid left over from juicing carrots.

My birds mostly just get the veggie scraps from the kitchen and the occasional produce I've kept too long in the fridge, like a wilty head of lettuce, etc. But they REALLY score when I'm canning. Then they get LOTS of peels/etc.

Deb

 

[liz9910]

I haven't used them, but I'd seen how they expand when one would get wet when we had them for the rabbits. I actually thought about just getting some rabbit pellets and adding them into the mix of stuff I throw as treats (scratch, BOSS, calf manna, oyster shell).


My birds mostly just get the veggie scraps from the kitchen and the occasional produce I've kept too long in the fridge, like a wilty head of lettuce, etc. But they REALLY score when I'm canning. Then they get LOTS of peels/etc.

Deb

Oh that sounds like a good idea, I may have to get a small bag to see if they will eat it. My lawn is pretty sad but I like to have the chickens roaming the backyard.

 

[ronott1]

Ron you must go thru a lot of veggies lol

My Oldest DD runs a Meat sales table in Mountain View each Sunday. She comes home with a lot of Fruits and Veggies each week that the other vendors give her.

I do buy a head of Cabbage or two and a big bag of Kale each week. I also give them Boss and cat food with Salmon and fish meal each day, so they are very spoiled chickens.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I am thinking about getting some Alfalfa squares and wetting them for the chickens. Does anyone do this?

I have given my flock alfalfa hay - 1 flake and it took them a couple days to polish it off. They went nuts for it. I've tried to find the pellets at TSC but couldn't find them. Backyard poultry recommended them for winter when they can't get enough greens.

I suspect I lost a pullet to rhubarb. I had it covered with frost blanket but one of the girls got underneath, tossed her out and went on with my day. Later that afternoon I found her dead in the run. There was quite a bit of leaf damage to a couple of stalks but I'm not sure it was the same pullet.

Mine also eat the leaves on our tomatos, snow peas, cucumber plants, whatever we haven't secured like Fort Knox.

I'm so sorry.

 

[ronott1]

Quote: This Spring, when I have a lawn in the back yard again, I plan on letting them out in the late evening in groups. They are fenced out of the back yard now.