Duckweed the new protein for chickens? Grown even in winter for green food !

[FireTigeris]

cool- I might just do that instead, can they be cultured?

 

[triplepurpose]

how will you keeps mosquitoes out of the duckweed tanks, I can get find for growing mosquitoes (if someone complains).

I use a few "mosquito fish" in each tub. A kind of tiny orange minnow, especially intended for that purpose. In fact, we have them in all of our outside water features, they reproduce themselves over time so we always have enough and they completely take care of themselves eating algae and larvae.

 

[triplepurpose]

But I did come across an article and was floored, it says that duck weed is 40/50 % protein and chickens love it.

I'm not so sure it's always that high under typical conditions, but it is comparable to legumes and such on a dry-weight basis, and they do love it. Also, Azolla (a nitrogen-fixing "water fern" with similar requirements and growth habits) is has a similar profile. You might look into that too!

 

[TamraF]

If you leave a covering of duckweed on a pond surface, it will inhibit mosquito growth all on its own. You won't need mosquito dunks. Research is being done to determine if the duckweed is releasing a larvae inhibiting chemical or if it is the covering over the water that doesn't allow larvae to breath properly.

Also, you can feed duckweed, fresh or dried to chickens up to 26% of their feed ratios. Lots of studies have been done on this. The duckweed needs to be grown in a high nitrogen water source or the 40% protein will reduce to as low as 16%.

www.DuckweedGardening.com

 

[karlamaria]

I have many many fish tanks in my tme, problem always was the fish kept breeding lol, I ended up giving hundreds and hundreds away on Craigslist. When I would find a seller who had plants I would order them of my tanks and as my fish procreated, the duck weed tat came on the plants went wild. I was constantly throwing cups of it away a day! My tanks were beautiful, the plants grew beautiful, and so did the duck weed lol. So I'm thinking of starting my tanks up, throwing duck weed in again and growing this at a constant rate for my girls over the winter months.

 

[triplepurpose]

I have many many fish tanks in my tme, problem always was the fish kept breeding lol, I ended up giving hundreds and hundreds away on Craigslist. When I would find a seller who had plants I would order them of my tanks and as my fish procreated, the duck weed tat came on the plants went wild. I was constantly throwing cups of it away a day! My tanks were beautiful, the plants grew beautiful, and so did the duck weed lol. So I'm thinking of starting my tanks up, throwing duck weed in again and growing this at a constant rate for my girls over the winter months.

You could always feed the fish to the chickens too, and have even more protein.

 

[Bitterroot]

Anyone giving this a go? I've got a pond I don't plan to use for anything, and am thinking about turning some duckweed loose in there and letting it go wild, harvesting as I need it. Even if I just end up with the lower-protein stuff, it's free food and that lower percentage ain't shabby.

There are supposedly trout in the pond, but I honestly have no idea if it's true or not.

 

[thedollysmama]

You had better be absolutely sure you want to let duckweed loose in your pond because you will likely never be able to get rid of it. I wouldn't do it. Get a wading pool and give that a shot first.

 

[PacasNChicks]

this is all very interesting... this will be my winter in the wt mts and i am worrying about the snow, etc. I am going to try and grown some sprouts for the greens they will miss when my grass isn't growing.

Where in the Wt Mts are you? any tips are welcome! I'm in Snowflake