Feeding your flock amidst of feed shortages

[U_Stormcrow]

Does anyone use or have information on comfrey as an addition to poultry diets? I use it with salves I make because the alatonin present in it promotes healing, but have always bought it dried. I was reading that it is high protein and low fiber, and several sites say that it’s extremely useful for supplementing their poultry feed. I’m wondering if there are any concerns to using it, and how one would go about preserving it for winter months when nothing is growing around here. (Dry it, maybe?)

Here is one of the sites I was reading: http://www.nantahala-farm.com/comfrey-fodder-livestock-poultry-s.shtml

There is a (VERY SMALL) body of research re: up to about 5% dried comfrey in poultry diets, generally w/o ill effect. Green comfrey is mostly water, making it low protein, and low every other thing. ...and while the allantoin may be beneficial, comfrey also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are not good - and in one study resulted in altered metabolic pathways after just a month of feeding male cobb broilers (though they were below detection limits in the meat). (Alternate source for study here, I'm not familiar with the journal in which it was published, or their peer review process.0

 

[SusanMc]

What should we switch to feeding the flock if shortages become even worst and there isn't any feed in your feed store? Mine are almost 3 month old but am thinking forward. Obviously, feeding what we have as leftovers. What did people feed their chickens back in the great depression?

Hi I wasn’t aware of any feed shortages, surely it can’t as bad as all that?

In my part of the world feed is still available. I could never trade a hen for a chicken dinner. But certainly if you can’t feed them…
My hens and roo will eat anything in a pinch. Hard question, no easy answers…

 

[TooCheep]

I grew a dozen comfrey plants this year and ordered 18 more cuttings this fall. It grows amazingly fast and I must be lucky because my flock will eat it.

Interesting. I have a container-grown comfrey plant. I'm not sure I've ever seen my 3 eat any, but then they have plenty of alternatives.

 

[Al Gerhart]

I’m pretty sure you’re referencing Edible Acres. He does some interesting stuff with compost, sprouts….and creates a ton of compost from his flock.

It was a huge honking compost pile, hundreds of birds, big front end loaders and semis hauling in materials. But he was feeding those birds with restaurant scraps and they sure looked healthy for in the winter.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Hi I wasn’t aware of any feed shortages, surely it can’t as bad as all that?

In my part of the world feed is still available. I could never trade a hen for a chicken dinner. But certainly if you can’t feed them…
My hens and roo will eat anything in a pinch. Hard question, no easy answers…

I believe it was last year that layer feed shortages were common and again in early spring. Here in the U.S., Oklahoma specifically. But people are very wise to be thinking ahead and making plans because none of us have seen this kind of world that we have found outselves in since March of 2020. Chicken feeder sales always skyrocket during bad times when people begin to worry about having some sort of food self grown. Thinking about alternative food sources is a good thing in my opinion. Maybe just because of inflation and the cost of manufactured feed.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

It was a huge honking compost pile, hundreds of birds, big front end loaders and semis hauling in materials. But he was feeding those birds with restaurant scraps and they sure looked healthy for in the winter.

Ah, ok…that’s Karl Hammer with the Vermont Compost company. He runs the compost business and the chickens and eggs are side bonus/business.

I think he also breeds some rare donkey/mules for cart pulling.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Interesting. I have a container-grown comfrey plant. I'm not sure I've ever seen my 3 eat any, but then they have plenty of alternatives.

Container grown, huh? One of the cool things about comfrey is that it’s got a long tap root, so can bring nutrients from down deep back to the surface (for feeding livestock or composting / green mulching). But hey, if it does well In a container too…all the better!

it grows really fast. Even the first year, I was cutting it back every few weeks from maybe June up until a week ago.

My flock has lots of options…but not a lot of fresh grass on the regular…so they seem to appreciate the comfrey.

 

[TooCheep]

Container grown, huh? One of the cool things about comfrey is that it’s got a long tap root, so can bring nutrients from down deep back to the surface (for feeding livestock or composting / green mulching). But hey, if it does well In a container too…all the better!

I grow both mint and comfrey in containers. They can be hard to keep from spreading, so the containers do the job.

 

[SusanMc]

I believe it was last year that layer feed shortages were common and again in early spring. Here in the U.S., Oklahoma specifically. But people are very wise to be thinking ahead and making plans because none of us have seen this kind of world that we have found outselves in since March of 2020. Chicken feeder sales always skyrocket during bad times when people begin to worry about having some sort of food self grown. Thinking about alternative food sources is a good thing in my opinion. Maybe just because of inflation and the cost of manufactured feed.

Yes, agreed about feed options. Mine still have the orchard to roam but they still try to eat me out of house and home lol…

When I had horses I learned that by September the grass has no nutrition, and it’s the same story with my hens and roo.

Gosh what else can we feed other than everyday scraps, rice is cheap ( I think) my flock loves rice, maybe supplement with vitamins, and feed whatever else you can, hold on to your birds, this has to pass…

 

[Al Gerhart]

If I wasn't responsible I would make a crack about looters making good feed stock for maggot farms. But I am responsible so I will shut my mouth.