Feeding your flock amidst of feed shortages

[TooCheep]

Good video. I planted my first Siberian Pea this year and may get a couple more. No production yet, but that isn't surprising. Have you fed your chickens with them yet? How do they like the peas?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Siberian Peashrub (Caragana Arborescens)

Highly invasive. Drought and Salt Tolerant, can subsist on poor soils
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 - 7 (some places list 2-8)
Height 15-20 Feet
Width 12-15 Feet
Growth Rate - can reach 3' per year

Note that the sale, import, or transport of this plant is illegal in some States. Much of the plant is edible, seeds and pods (as with essentially all legumes) are a high protein source and also a concentrated source of fats. (claims vary, reports as high as 36% protein, 12.5% fat +/-). I've been unable to locate an amino acid profile for it, but in this report its reported that it produces an amino similar to arganine which can be problematic for creatures who can't distinguish between the two. Whether or not chickens can? I can't find that, either.

STRONGLY encourage you to do your own research before adopting this plant onto your own property.

/edit my zone is 8A, so this plant is borderline for me in terms of hardiness, but like Kudzu, my answer is FIRMLY "NO".

 

[Regina Larsen]

"The Siberian peashrub is a perennial leafy shrub with an extensive root system. Each plant is self-compatible, meaning that it can self-fertilize and produce seed without another plant nearby. Being self-compatible makes it easy for a planted Siberian peashrub to produce seed that can spread to areas where it was not planted. Siberian peashrub grows in forest understories, edge habitats, and open, grassy habitats." https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/woody/siberianpeashrub.html

I don't have siberian pea shrub but my land is overrun by floribunda rose and autumn olive so I have an idea of how hard it is to deal with species that resprout from the base after you cut or burn them.

My goats like the invasive rosa multiflora. (Clearing it over the years has cost me at least a unit of blood.)
We have autumn olive all over our area. Im going to dig out a few and pop them into an empty spot.

 

[Regina Larsen]

This vid demonstrates a simple grain sprouting system for lower feed cost. I like this type of thing. In general i like this channel a lot

 

[Rangergord]

Siberian Peashrub (Caragana Arborescens)

Highly invasive. Drought and Salt Tolerant, can subsist on poor soils
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 - 7 (some places list 2-8)
Height 15-20 Feet
Width 12-15 Feet
Growth Rate - can reach 3' per year

Note that the sale, import, or transport of this plant is illegal in some States. Much of the plant is edible, seeds and pods (as with essentially all legumes) are a high protein source and also a concentrated source of fats. (claims vary, reports as high as 36% protein, 12.5% fat +/-). I've been unable to locate an amino acid profile for it, but in this report its reported that it produces an amino similar to arganine which can be problematic for creatures who can't distinguish between the two. Whether or not chickens can? I can't find that, either.

STRONGLY encourage you to do your own research before adopting this plant onto your own property.

/edit my zone is 8A, so this plant is borderline for me in terms of hardiness, but like Kudzu, my answer is FIRMLY "NO".

I have a hedge of Caragana in Z2. I have not had any luck getting the chickens to eat the seed. Maybe I need to process it? Anyways the plant is very well behaved here and in Z3. Its when it’s in Z4 or warmer that it really can be far too weedy to be desirable. Climate and soil type have an influence on whether a particular plant is invasive or not.

 

[Rangergord]

So I just returned from a trip to a regional city to buy some feed. I went to Peavey Mart which took over TSC stores in Canada in 2017. They were out of lay ration. There was only a bit of starter and grower ration. No oyster shell. No scratch grain. No explanation. No idea when the situation might change.

Well I had a look around and found several bags of Hi Pro 36% Protein Supplement for poultry. I have used it in the past and had run out. It’s meant to be mixed with cracked wheat or corn and makes any type of poultry ration you want with a protein ratio of 16 to 20 % along with all the vitamins and minerals required. Adding extra calcium is optional depending on your requirements. One bag of the supplement is mixed with about 4 to 5 bags of grain to make 5 or 6 bags of ration.
Most people don’t know what the product is so it was still there along with cracked corn. So I bought supplement, corn, BOSS, alfalfa pellets, and shavings and woodpellets for deep litter this winter. Now I have at least a years supply for my small flock.

 

[Regina Larsen]

Im aiming for one year of food for everyone. If things so south, i need a year (at least 3 seasons) to get everything up to full speed. Good shopping.

 

[Rangergord]

That’s where I am at like the guy in the Video! Gonna try and make the seed more palatable. I could sprout it, ferment it, grind it, or cook it. Sprouting and fermenting are first up.

 

[Rangergord]

This vid demonstrates a simple grain sprouting system for lower feed cost. I like this type of thing. In general i like this channel a lot

That’s a pretty good demonstration of how you can feed poultry whole grain. I think a bit more emphasis needs to be put on the insects in the soil that make this system work. Without them it all falls apart like now when winter comes and the bugs disappear.
I can see this working even better with a chicken tractor because access to the grain and insects is more easily controlled. Already I could do this for half the year if I moved the tractor to high quality range at least once a day. However right now I prefer to feed them a full ration because I keep them going over old ground until all vegetation is killed. Then I can establish more annual crops like vegetables and grains.

 

[Regina Larsen]

That’s a pretty good demonstration of how you can feed poultry whole grain. I think a bit more emphasis needs to be put on the insects in the soil that make this system work. Without them it all falls apart like now when winter comes and the bugs disappear.
I can see this working even better with a chicken tractor because access to the grain and insects is more easily controlled. Already I could do this for half the year if I moved the tractor to high quality range at least once a day. However right now I prefer to feed them a full ration because I keep them going over old ground until all vegetation is killed. Then I can establish more annual crops like vegetables and grains.

I like yr idea of tractoring and rotating feed spots for this type of feed system. Im going to work on that. My girls free range so it will be like a drive thru luncheonette for them The girls spend a lot of time in the orchard and getting this into place will make my trees very happy too. Nice steady nitrogen sourcing