Feeding Acorns to Chickens

[Foristers]

Bullit - Amy - Nontoxic - Chirs

So it has been a couple of years - have any of you done the trials for acorns as food? I would love to know how this turned out.

I plan to use a number of wild seeds and grains to reduce feed costs and also just to report on the affects. (I will report back here, perhaps under a different post)
So far I have found positive research that the following seeds may actually prove to be healthy for chickens: (these are all readily available here in the southeast - my region) pine nuts, acorns, crushed muscadine seeds, blackberry seeds, and beechnuts. Since the whole fruit of blackberry and muscadine is good for chickens it might seem redundant to list the seeds; I list them here because at my household we tend to have extra - blackberry seeds after filtering them off of jelly and pies and muscadine seeds after making wine and jelly.

I have a few other plants in mind to use but it is difficult to find any information on them as not many people have tried it or written much about it.

Anything that anyone else has tried and proven results for - that information would be appreciated - whether good or bad for chickens.
Thanks

 

[coltssuperbowl83]

I like this idea. I have a million on my y driveway right now....

 

[coltssuperbowl83]

ok. I tried it. I just finished reading my daughter My Side of the Mountain and it talks about acorn pancakes, so we were already curious about what we could do with acorns.
I'm sure there is a better way to do it though...I smashed them with that rock twice each, once to get the acorns' hat off, once to crack the shells open.... rinsed them like ten times. The water was dark brown each time I rinsed them... Will change the water tomorrow and the next day I guess.

 

[Bullitt]

ok. I tried it. I just finished reading my daughter My Side of the Mountain and it talks about acorn pancakes, so we were already curious about what we could do with acorns.
I'm sure there is a better way to do it though...I smashed them with that rock twice each, once to get the acorns' hat off, once to crack the shells open.... rinsed them like ten times. The water was dark brown each time I rinsed them... Will change the water tomorrow and the next day I guess.

I have not done this. It was an interesting idea for people who have many oak trees around and can make use of acorns.
I think you can put a bunch of acorns in a burlap sack, then you can easily break them up with anything flat, such as a frying pan. You can then put the acorns in a 5-gallon bucket and allow them to soak in water over night. Then drain the water. I think a couple of good soakings will do the trick.
Then throw out the broken acorns to the chickens, and the chickens will peck out the meat of the nuts.
You might want to feed the acorns to chickens in an area where you can rake up the acorn hulls.

 

[Dom'sHEns]

I remember reading here that acorns have been known to turn egg yolks green and opaque, similar to that of cottonseed meal.

Maybe your soaking process will help prevent that?

I don't think it harmful to eat the green yolks, just aesthetically its not for me.

Good luck with your project.

Dom

 

[Foristers]

ok. I tried it. I just finished reading my daughter My Side of the Mountain and it talks about acorn pancakes, so we were already curious about what we could do with acorns.
I'm sure there is a better way to do it though...I smashed them with that rock twice each, once to get the acorns' hat off, once to crack the shells open.... rinsed them like ten times. The water was dark brown each time I rinsed them... Will change the water tomorrow and the next day I guess.

I am eager for some feedback from anyone who tries this out. Thanks for doing so. My oaks aren't producing this year very much and are only water oaks to boot. (They produce tiny acorns)

 

[coltssuperbowl83]

Well, I soaked the acorns in fresh water every day for four days and gave them to the chickens. They ate them but weren't super crazy about them. I would suggest shelling them before they get soaked.... I didn't think about it but its easier to shell them before they are a mushy mess.
My rooster Jester loved them but he loved them straight off the tree if I cracked them for him. The others had to wait for me to open the shells all the way and lost interest. Haven't noticed difference in egg production or anything. Although, I only fed them as a snack, once. Probably not enough to mess with eggs.
Overall it was pretty tedious. But I enjoyed being able to provide them free treats. I'm sure there is a better, more efficient way of doing it than what I did, as well.

 

[coltssuperbowl83]

I only have pin oaks which are kinda a weed out here, I'm sure there are better quality acorn producing trees.

 

[chickensfinally]

Well, I soaked the acorns in fresh water every day for four days and gave them to the chickens. They ate them but weren't super crazy about them. I would suggest shelling them before they get soaked.... I didn't think about it but its easier to shell them before they are a mushy mess.
My rooster Jester loved them but he loved them straight off the tree if I cracked them for him. The others had to wait for me to open the shells all the way and lost interest. Haven't noticed difference in egg production or anything. Although, I only fed them as a snack, once. Probably not enough to mess with eggs.
Overall it was pretty tedious. But I enjoyed being able to provide them free treats. I'm sure there is a better, more efficient way of doing it than what I did, as well.

My chickens were free ranging in the city and were found by a friend "crossing the road" (and almost getting hit by a fedex truck in the process) to go eat smashed acorns under the neighbor's tree. No rinsing done, unless it had rained. They seemed to think it was a worthwhile endeavor.

 

[chickensfinally]

My chickens were free ranging in the city and were found by a friend "crossing the road" (and almost getting hit by a fedex truck in the process) to go eat smashed acorns under the neighbor's tree. No rinsing done, unless it had rained. They seemed to think it was a worthwhile endeavor.

[/IMG].
Here are the pics she posted to Facebook before she knew whose they were. It included something about chickens crossing the road