Developing the grass in your yard for increasing free ranging nutrition

[LeslieDJoyce]

You guys may have noticed that I like reading older sources for poultry management info ... today I came across a source discussing the use of alfalfa for poultry as an off-season substitute for fresh greens.

Another benefit of alfalfa is the "in vitro fermentability" helps decrease bad pathogens in the bird, like salmonella.

Here is the link: http://digitool.library.colostate.e...zL2R0bC9kM18xL2FwYWNoZV9tZWRpYS8yOTY5NQ==.pdf


And here is a quote from the opening of the article:

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Western Farm Life 40(10):21 May 15, 1938
Alfalfa for Poultry
H. S. Wilgus, Jr.

Recent Research has indicated that the so-called "tonic" value of fresh green feed for poultry may be attributed to the fact that it is probably the orginal source of all know vitamins except D, and that it is valuable as a source of minerals and other factors yet unknown. As fresh green feed is available only part of the year, poultrymen have turned to dried green materials rich in green leaves, in which the desired nutrients are concentrated. Alfalfa is the chief crop used at present.

 

[Arielle]

My crew sits on the hay bales and pulls apart open bales and gobbles down the small particulates. Lots of green poo and orange eggs.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

My crew sits on the hay bales and pulls apart open bales and gobbles down the small particulates. Lots of green poo and orange eggs.

I've started adding a bit of alfalfa pellets to the FF. Cuz I'm awaiting Greener Pastures.

I stock the nest boxes with hay, but not alfalfa. The birds really like it. I like the way it smells. I was thinking of maybe putting some bales of hay in the coop to more effectively designate a broody momma area in one of the rooms of the coop. The birds love to scratch so much that they tend to constantly move the bedding away from the top corner where the broodies & babies like to sleep. Of course they scratch MORE when they have chicks to teach.

 

[Arielle]

THose broodies are busy mommas.

I agree, alfalfa is too expensive to waste in the nest boxes- a plain grass hay is good. It sure smells good. THe soild nest box material I clean out and toss on the floor for DL.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

The Fresh Eggs Daily blog has a little article on clover for poultry.

I've read in some older poultry books about clover pastures for chickens.

 

[Beekissed]

If we get a snow this week it will be the perfect time for me to seed....I'm looking forward to seeing that clover this spring again! Nothing prettier than chickens roaming chest deep in a flowering stand of clover. Bees buzzing, chickens clucking contentedly and green, green, green!

My chickens have been working full time on scratching up the leaf litter around here...looks like they have used a plow under all the trees! They've also been cleaning up a big pile of spoiled, rotten apples we dumped from our winter stores....mmmmmm-mmmm, fermented apples!!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I seeded some last week (alfalfa, clover, radish), more this week. I'm ordering chicory. turnips, millet and ladino.
I have winter peas, wheat, oats, and buckwheat but the BW will have to wait till April.

I can't wait to see anything green, nor can the chickens.

 

[Lacy Blues]

If we get a snow this week it will be the perfect time for me to seed....I'm looking forward to seeing that clover this spring again! Nothing prettier than chickens roaming chest deep in a flowering stand of clover. Bees buzzing, chickens clucking contentedly and green, green, green!

My chickens have been working full time on scratching up the leaf litter around here...looks like they have used a plow under all the trees! They've also been cleaning up a big pile of spoiled, rotten apples we dumped from our winter stores....mmmmmm-mmmm, fermented apples!!!

and

drunk chickens! Make sure you post a video.

 

[Beekissed]

and

drunk chickens! Make sure you post a video.

Mine don't get drunk off it...they are so used to this sort of food.

They eat fermented feed, pumpkins, apples, peaches and milk...not to mention rotten apples...all the time. They are like the Irish chickens of the poultry world.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Oh happy day!!!

We've had just enough break in the workload and the weather that "they" are actually starting to prep the fields for the expanded poultry pastures today!!!!

Yay! Yay! Yay!