Forage, Compost, Fodder, and Low-cost food options for a flock of five to eight on 2000 square feet

[lazy gardener]

Sounds like you have a good handle on your set up. You might consider adding fall leaves to the DL in that run as they come available.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Oops! I live in Central Virginia along the east side of the Blue Ridge. It's zone 7a or 7b depending on the map. We can grow a lot of stuff that is beyond our zone, however, because out springs start in early March and even as early as February and we don't see a frost until November. Additionally, my area is classified in a temperate rainforest, it's very hot and very, very wet (we average four inches of rain April through September and three inches the rest of the year). But I sort of disagree with being called 7b, I think we ought to be an 8. Our winters are very mild, I haven't seen the ground freeze up for more than maybe a single day since 2013 when I moved here. We get maybe two snows a year and the ground doesn't stay covered for more than about two days per storm.

There are two areas where the chickens will be, probably rotate on a weekly basis to let the insects and plant life recover. The main run be has a mostly southern exposure, it's on the east side of the house so it gets the morning sun and shade from noon on. The run is roughly 70 by 25, but it's kicks out to almost 40 on the north side which brings the area up to 2100 square feet. The secondary run is full sun dawn to dusk and is about 2500 square feet.

PD-- I have lots of time for doing things that assist in cost cutting! I work 8 to 5 Mon-Wed and 6 to 3 Thu-Fri, so I just make it easy on myself and wake up at 4am every day of the week.

Sprouted barley has a crude protein content of 15.5%.

lazy-- I actually ordered Bocking #14, I omitted the '1' by accident! We do have #4 for the horses, and if the chickens tend towards it more than #14 I might grow some in their run for them. The horses definitely prefer #4 to #14 and will turn up their noses to #14.

I've sowed white clover through their run. If it's a hit I'll sow my other bag in their run too-- but my second bag is for my vegetable garden, want to experiment with a living mulch on a few rows and see how it does. But I will look into the peas. We figured we'd give the chickens some of the berry bushes we tend to use less often and in the fall we'll let them into our fruit area to eat our fallen berries/fruits.

They will have 24/7 access to 500 square foot section and dawn to dusk access to a full run dawn to dusk. This is to increase security since the 500 square foot area will be totally fenced in, including a cage on the top. The other areas will be fenced in from dogs and such but won't be covered on top. The main run has trees to help break the line of sight for predatory birds and we have some hounds which will be with the chickens most of the time to discourage predation. We live in a city and all our neighbors own chickens, none have ever lost a single bird to predation and some don't even have a fenced in yard for them!

And yes, I am so glad to have found it at the co-op for such a good price. I have bought 100# of it because I couldn't believe how cheap it was. I was almost convinced I couldn't find barely for less than $40 or $50 per 50# bag, and then I thought to look at the co-ops catalog. Really glad I did because they also sell horse feed at half the price of Tractor Supply for the same product, so we're going to make the switch to their grain next month.

And as an aside, I'm jealous of you. Getting to live in Maine! That's where I and my family are from, but I came to school here in central VA and then got married and bought a house... Most of the family is from up in Aroostook, and my parents live in Stonington.

We live in Southwest Virginia, on the Pigg River. Just moved here in June, so i will be interested to see how fall and winter go here.

 

[CapricornFarm]

We are in central VA too! Just started a flock. Let's exchange notes!

This is turning into a Virginia thread!

 

[iPringle]

Well hello. You're just down 29 from. I'm in downtown Lynchburg. If winter this year is like last year the struggle will be keeping them out of my garden. I think I will be able to grow through December and keep stuff in the ground/on the vine until January. But with no other life for them to eat they'll want to get into my garden.

 

[lazy gardener]

Do you have a green house? Or use cold frames? If not, I suggest that you implement those options. I have a CP green house, and have used hay bale cold frames in the garden. They allow me to have fresh salads until mid December. Then the green house greens start producing again in late Feb, early March. Other gardeners in my 4.B growing zone only garden from late May through mid Sept. b/c of frosts. You could easily garden year round in your zone. 2 layers of plastic = 3 zone of temp. increase.

You might find this book to be well worth the cost:

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...d=0ahUKEwjUtbDjlPDVAhVi4YMKHZOBBJoQ_B0IlwEwCg

 

[iPringle]

A greenhouse in the the list of things to build, have a spot against the exposed portion of my brick foundation that measures 10x24 and I plan to put it there. Foundation will act as a heatsink and the the size will come in at just below my city's minimum needed for a permit.

But that's probably down the road a year or two since I don't have the funds and I have not been able to find many free windows on craigslist.

In the meantime I plan to do a mixture of strawbale cold frames for the row I have against my house as it only gets sun from noon onwards and then the rest will be low tunnels. I will probably throw up the first low tunnel around Nov. when the frosts begin. In my experience from last winter my leafy greens, root crop, and some of the very cold hearty veggies survived until Jan and tasted much better exposed than they did in the low tunnels.

I'm not sure but I may eventually build a high tunnel over my entire garden but I'm not sure if the convenience is worth the cost.

 

[lazy gardener]

Check out that book I posted. Some inventive ideas there, including high tunnels that can be moved on tracks so that you can move them along to protect crops as needed. While a green house with glass panels would be fantastic, you can put up an 8 x 8 CP green house for around $100, including framing and plastic.

 

[iPringle]

While a green house with glass panels would be fantastic, you can put up an 8 x 8 CP green house for around $100, including framing and plastic.

Really? I will have to look into that. Just need the sorghum to be ready to harvest and I could start building a greenhouse, especially if it's only a $100 venture.

 

[lazy gardener]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/BARRICADE-10-ft-x-25-ft-x-6-mil-Clear-Plastic-Sheeting/1000158131

x1

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft-l-x-50-in-h

x2

2 x 4's to make end framing including doors, bottom framing, center ridge pole. I used aluminum combination storm windows and framed those up to make the doors, so... my doors are screened, with adjustable glass panels. $10.00 each at Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Various staples, screws, nails, and a bit of elbow grease. Lath strips to attach plastic to framing. I also used pipe insulation to cover the ends of the panels to keep those sharp nubs from abrading the plastic as it wraps over the end of the panels.

So... yeah. Perhaps a bit over $100, but it would definitely come in under $125 based on materials. Beauty of this is that it's light weight so it can be moved around. I had it in my garden for a few years, before moving it to it's current location. It can also be repurposed as a grow out coop or a chicken tractor by changing out the covering material.

 

[barred2rock]

This might give you some ideas: http://wholefedhomestead.com/10-creative-protein-sources-chickens-help-save-money-chicken-feed/