Emergency for me, Caught Disease, Need a Cure!

[SussexInSeattle]

I had bought what the local feed store called a "Mini Bale" of orchard grass, intending to line my nest boxes with it, but come to find out that the girls are liking munching on the partial flake that I throw down for them each morning due to them being coop-bound due to our recent snowy and icy weather.

A week ago, I sat in the barn with them for an hour since they were all ruffled at me for not letting them out in the snow. I had been semi-sneezy each morning when I entered the barn since buying that bale but this day, I Really started to clog up and the allergy went on and on for 12 straight hours after leaving. That mess turned into a sinus infection and now antibiotics for the aftermath.

My question is; what else can I get for my girls to munch on over the winter months that will be equivalent to their grass greens that possibly won't kill me with hay fever? I was thinking of trying alfalfa hay but will the chickens be able to eat that stiffer form of hay? What do you think about Timothy hay? Or is there anything out there that may be non-hay?

Any suggestions will be appreciated since now I can only run in and run out, wearing a dust mask that was rated pretty high for fine dust.

 

[sunnydee]

I will be very interested in some answeres also. I have been giving my girls lettuce, cabbage, spinach but it does not seem to compare on how much they love grass.

 

[MandyH]

Get alfalfa pellets. They are like $7 for a 50lb bag and they are bout the same size as layer pellets. They will love it!!!

 

[SussexInSeattle]

Thank you so MUCH! I NEVER would have thought of that... Ever! So do I ask for rabbit pellets so they are small enough for the girls?

 

[Wildsky]

My girls can't WAIT for me to feed the horse and goat - they get a flake of alfalfa and a flake of grass hay each evening, the chickens get stuck in right along with them.

 

[MandyH]

No, alfalfa pellets are just compressed alfalfa hay stuffs. There's nothing added. Rabbit food has vitamins and stuff in it for rabbits.

 

[FractalFarmer]

I read that chickens like sprouted wheat also. I plan to try that out soon; just soak whole wheat kernals on a tray, then keep them moist & dark for awhile until they sprout. Sounds yummy...I might try it too!

 

[spookyevilone]

I went to the organic food store and bought a few pounds of wheat berries and oat groats and sprout 'em. When they're a few inches tall (about a week), I feed it to my birds.

If you're worried about the rabbit pellets being too big/hard/etc, put them in a pail with a little bit of warm water and stir until they're all damp. They'll fall apart into mash and the birds can eat that. I bet they'd love that heated up.

-Spooky

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

This time of year I feed my horses alfalfa cubes softened in hot water. The birds seem to love 'em too.

 

[SussexInSeattle]

Quote:
I used to feed my horses alfalfa pellets but they were like an inch or two long and fairly fat. Way larger than my layer pellets. Are there tiny alfalfa pellets also?