Foraging And Feed Effeciency Comparing Breeds

[Arielle]

I know it's not a foraging time of year--at least here between Lake Ontario and the Adirondacks where the high today is below zero and falling. But it is the time of year when I have time for reading, gathering information, planning. So here are my questions for this thread--
Anyone using chicken tractors? How big for how many birds? What breeds? how often moved and over what kind of ground?

What do you grow to feed your chickens? What feed do you buy?

Since starting this thread, I have discovered many limitations. FIgure all the ideas I can cross off my list will lead me to what will work. My land is too rough to run a tractor. The 4 x 12 had many gaps here and there that didnt keep in the adults. THe hens crouched low to squease out. That sits empty but has a solid floor under it now for future use.

I did invest some time reading Salatins books. Many good ideas there. Or at least inspiration.

Built several big coops, large enough to keep them penned. Thank goodness as we are 10 inches shy of beating the record for snow. DH broke out the snow shoes to break paths. lol

Bought good buckeyes last spring. Great foragers. SPread far and wide. ONly lost 2 to a coon that reached into their coop. Coyote are less apparent this year. No sightings.

Putting up a strange fencing. CUtting down trees, limbing it and tiying the trunk up to live trees in the fence line. THe brush gets dropped on the otherside. Coyote cannot get thru or get over. ( DH does the work usually in the winter, so this is on hold til snow melts.)

Atill feeding commercial pellets. Yet to see how much I can grow. Tried corn and squash but too many trees still block the sun. That was a dismal failure. THe land here is uncultivated. Never plowed. Tree been cut over time to time, so many youngish trees to make poles of. Many oak tress. ENough to sacrifice a few. Hurts but need to get the soil some sunlight.

WIll be slow, trial and error , to get enough produce to feed us and the chooks.

 

[Beer can]

I did that last summer, had two different runs for them to use when they wern't free ranging.

 

[Arielle]

sorry double post.

 

[Rainey]

Since starting this thread, I have discovered many limitations. FIgure all the ideas I can cross off my list will lead me to what will work. My land is too rough to run a tractor. The 4 x 12 had many gaps here and there that didnt keep in the adults. THe hens crouched low to squease out. That sits empty but has a solid floor under it now for future use.

I did invest some time reading Salatins books. Many good ideas there. Or at least inspiration.

Built several big coops, large enough to keep them penned. Thank goodness as we are 10 inches shy of beating the record for snow. DH broke out the snow shoes to break paths. lol

Bought good buckeyes last spring. Great foragers. SPread far and wide. ONly lost 2 to a coon that reached into their coop. Coyote are less apparent this year. No sightings.

Putting up a strange fencing. CUtting down trees, limbing it and tiying the trunk up to live trees in the fence line. THe brush gets dropped on the otherside. Coyote cannot get thru or get over. ( DH does the work usually in the winter, so this is on hold til snow melts.)

Atill feeding commercial pellets. Yet to see how much I can grow. Tried corn and squash but too many trees still block the sun. That was a dismal failure. THe land here is uncultivated. Never plowed. Tree been cut over time to time, so many youngish trees to make poles of. Many oak tress. ENough to sacrifice a few. Hurts but need to get the soil some sunlight.

WIll be slow, trial and error , to get enough produce to feed us and the chooks.

Have you used the acorns for feed--or do the hens eat them on their own? I read that they were used in England when feed was scarce during WW II. Last year was a high mast year here, but I didn't read about using them for rabbits and chickens until the snow had covered everything up.
And I was wondering about the Buckeyes. Have heard them mentioned as a good forager, but also think you posted about them needing a really high protein feed when you start them. I think it was Hellbender who suggested them to me as the one breed he'd raise if he was trying to get by with little or no outside feed bought in. But needing to get higher than normal starter feed seemed to contradict that. Just curious. Think they'd be heavy for me--I'm interested in eggs from the hens, not meat.

 

[maranfarmer563]

I would think acorns would need to be crushed or ground for chicken feed. Try growing cucumbers,they take shade. I don't like eating them so I let them get big and start to turn yellow they are ready for the chickens

 

[RedRidge]

I would think acorns would need to be crushed or ground for chicken feed. Try growing cucumbers,they take shade. I don't like eating them so I let them get big and start to turn yellow they are ready for the chickens

Most livestock cannot tolerate the tannins in acorns. Pigs can, but acorns can kill cattle, sheep and goats. It's unclear about how tannins effect poultry (since unground they aren't usually consumed), but i would use caution.

 

[alldembirds]

i was told once by an old timer that you can crush good acorns and put them in a cloth sack in running water ( a stream) for about a day ringing it out a couple times until it runs clear and it will be safe to eat, the settlers thought since the natives ate it it was safe for the chickens to eat. some oak species have more tannins I cant remember which ones

 

[Arielle]

I would think acorns would need to be crushed or ground for chicken feed. Try growing cucumbers,they take shade. I don't like eating them so I let them get big and start to turn yellow they are ready for the chickens

lol I can just imagine those big over sized ovals!! lol WHat ever works!!! I actually like the slighly sour flavor of the over ripes but there is no way to keep up with even a few plants!! Good to give to the chooks.

 

[Arielle]

i was told once by an old timer that you can crush good acorns and put them in a cloth sack in running water ( a stream) for about a day ringing it out a couple times until it runs clear and it will be safe to eat, the settlers thought since the natives ate it it was safe for the chickens to eat. some oak species have more tannins I cant remember which ones

It is the tannins that are a problem . A pig farmer said he envied me but I didnt use them until I could come up with a viable answer. For now the buckeyes ignore the acorns.

I would think any oak has enough tannin to be of concern for some animals. and maybe for all animals.

I recently tried a new athletes foot treatment-- sorry , it has a relavent point--- and a solution of soaked tea bags was suggested as a cure. OTC anti fungals per pediatrition did not kill off the microbe. Yes, the itch stopped, but the skin was still cracking and bleeding and . . that was very ouchy to walk on. Time to try the tea solution. I didnt have anything to lose, so soaked feet in strong cold tea, morning and night and dang , didnt it kill the fungus. In this case the tannins are credited for the kill.

What I would like to know is the effect of the tannins on the natural "microbes, including yeast in the gut. If it only knocks down the yeast and doesnt kill the others I would be willing to try it. Hmmmm. Dreaming up an experiment here. Gotta think it over. . . . .

Edited because I can spell first thing in the morning!! lol

 

[gjensen]

Tannins do not necessarily exclude something as being useful in a diet. It often limits the qty. that can be used. Particularly without further supplementation, or treatment.

Oaks, therefore acorns, is a broad subject. There are countless species and subspecies, not to mention many naturally hybridize.

Acorns have little to no value to chickens because of their shells. Not unless someone has an endless amount of time to harvest them, and separate the meat from the shells. I am sure someone can come up with something that is more productive.

Deer and Turkey use acorns heavily in season.

Cucumbers are a reasonable treat, but have little in the way of nutrition. Particularly protein, and energy.