Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[Yellow House Farm]

I don't really put a lot of time into forage development. They get what God gives them where they happen to be foraging. I do use a full ration of commercial grain in conjunction with free-range. I fatten with a fattening ration.

Arielle, I'm not certain why you'd want to play with crossing something. Creating good crosses takes as much as breeding standard-bred birds. Most folks would be best off just choosing one breed and going about thing in a tried and true fashion.



On another note, if I were looking for a bird that were capable of living on pure forage: games and hamburgs come to mind right off the bat.

 

[Arielle]

I don't really put a lot of time into forage development. They get what God gives them where they happen to be foraging. I do use a full ration of commercial grain in conjunction with free-range. I fatten with a fattening ration.

Arielle, I'm not certain why you'd want to play with crossing something. Creating good crosses takes as much as breeding standard-bred birds. Most folks would be best off just choosing one breed and going about thing in a tried and true fashion.



On another note, if I were looking for a bird that were capable of living on pure forage: games and hamburgs come to mind right off the bat.

I'm surprised you don't have a land management plan. Maybe the farmland is already in good shape and provides well. Certainly the birds provide some fertilizer. lol

Project birds--- I would like a bird that I can put in the freezer by winter ( no wintering over) and have a bit more meat to it than anything I have currently. ANd NOT the cornish cross. Too fragile for my skill level. I'm still open to trying the buckeyes though, as well as the project birds.

But I am realizing I really only need a few birds to feed my family. Selling the extras is too difficult given all the regs.

 

[Fentress]

@Arielle - I too have been dissapointed with the meat qualities of the supposedly dual purpose breeds from the hatcheries. I will not order from them again. I am going to try standard bred birds and see if that makes a difference, but at the same time I know that this could be a long process and I am not interested in trying out a large number of different breeds just to find the right one. It's a lot like boats, each one does something a little different. I am going to raise meat hybrids next year, probably the freedom ranger which is healthier and more adapted to pasture than the Cornish Cross. If for no other reason, because I have never done it.

In terms of forage, I plant cover crops and provide compost piles for my flock. I try to provide as diverse an environment as possible, keeping in mind that most of thier protien requirements still have to come from the feed. I think you might like Harvey Ussery, Small Scale Poultry Flock. Also, his web site The Modern Homestead. He emphasizes natural feeds, however you have create them yourself, such as vermicomposting, raising grubs etc.

 

[Fentress]

PS - creating forage can be as simple or complicated as you want it. Right now, I am making plans to seed winter grass in the area that I know my birds will occupy. Requires a little labor, but it provides something green during the winter when there is little else available.

 

[saladin]

An excellent winter forage is a mixture of:

Rape
Kale
Clover
Wheat
Oats
Turnip Greens
Small amount of Ky 31 Fescue

Really all that is necessary is to broadcast the seed. I do not work my land at all. Sow prior to a rain and the stuff will be up in less than 2 weeks.

 

[Fentress]

We had a mild winter last year and my fescue overwintered nicely, does it usually do that? Will it come back? Can it grow back up through the domant matt of summer grass? I am in S.E. Va. climate zone 8. What is Rape? Is that the same as Hanover?

Thanks for the tip I think I will try mix this year.

Mark

 

[catdaddyfro]

An excellent winter forage is a mixture of:

Rape
Kale
Clover
Wheat
Oats
Turnip Greens
Small amount of Ky 31 Fescue

Really all that is necessary is to broadcast the seed. I do not work my land at all. Sow prior to a rain and the stuff will be up in less than 2 weeks.

I generally plant all of that with exception of the Fescue never tried that here, but also I add in Collards they absolutely kill for those, Austrian winter peas, Mustard greens red and Fla. broadleaf,swiss chard too. I also found out last year if you don't get the peanut harvest in soon enough and they ever discover the booty down beneath, forget those they dig till they are all gone and are very good tillers I might add too LOL

Jeff

 

[catdaddyfro]

We had a mild winter last year and my fescue overwintered nicely, does it usually do that? Will it come back? Can it grow back up through the domant matt of summer grass? I am in S.E. Va. climate zone 8. What is Rape? Is that the same as Hanover?

Thanks for the tip I think I will try mix this year.

Mark

Its in the mustard/cabbage family the seeds are what they extract Canola(veg oil) from

Jeff

Hanover is rutabeggas which are in the same family they are in fact a cross of turnip x cabbage

 

[Fentress]

Yeah, mine loved cleaning up the collard patch as well. I planted a plot of red clover miuxed with something else (I can't remember) in a tilled area, and that provided a very resilient turf that help up well for a period during the winter. then in the spring it exploded and has provided good forage until just recently. Definitely going to plant more clover this year.

mark

 

[Fentress]

Thanks jeff,

I have heard Rape mentioned before as a cover plant and have never seen it in the store.

Mak