FREE food for my chickens!

[maf2008]

Well I have been visiting the local garbage bin

(Yes my kids shudder and hide from embarrassment......)

at the local farmers market to get scraps each week and haul away a trunk load of food each week of crushed melons, bruised veg and fruits... now the harvest season is drawing to a close.

So I went to webpages/emails of local lawn/landscape companies within a few mile of my home. I have LOTS of chickens to feed and cant free range as we have a creek that chickens will escape to and I cant afford any more losses!

sooooooooo I have placed the following "ad" on local webpages and on free websites to see if I can get MORE food for free!

SAMPLE AD What do you think?

********** Hi I live near your business in xxxx Texas and am looking for a supplier for well...... "garbage....!" We REALLY NEED grass clippings and lawn trash (fresh no paper or plastic) to feed grass /weedsclippings to our chickens.

I will trade for free eggs, fresh poultry or live poultry for trash bags or fresh grass /weedsclippings.

I am looking for a *** regular supplier of grass clippings***

I can pick up your clippings each week I will pay $$$ in eggs or chickens..... go home with free eggs and chickens! free food for your trash WOW! no strings. Period. ***************

Well. I hope to have lots of fresh grass clippings so I won't have to free range the hens.

 

[Mahonri]

couldn't hurt.

 

[FLQuailChick]

I'd be concerned about getting grass with pesticides on it. You might want to mention "no chemicals" or something in your ad, just to be on the safe side. Good luck.

 

[willkatdawson]

Quote:
I was thinking the same thing. My parents are older and have a yard service that bags clippings and takes them away. If it's a landscaper or lawn service they I think almost without exception would be using chemicals.

 

[SimplyForties]

I think it would be more effective to simply call them and ask.

 

[ShaggysGirl]

I'd be worried about the chemicals too as well as impacted crops from eating to much grass. When they eat grass from your yard they peck off little pieces with long strands of cut grass they swallow the whole thing, just food for thought.

 

[maf2008]

I will ask about pesticides. I was thinking more about mowing hayfields and weeds long roadsides and ditches where there may just be cutting grass not from suburban yards with bugs spray and grass chemicals.

But good ideas to ask. thanks

 

[JewellFarm]

I read somewhere not to feed chickens grass clippings. The clippings are longer than what the chicken would normally bite off and eat, therefore the grass can roll around grains and other stuff in the crop causing sour crop, blockages and other nasty problems.

 

[PaintedGemsRanch]

Quote:
Just watch even doing that, we live in the middle of no where and the county still sprays that roads edges with "weed killers". They do it anywhere, whether it be no traffic or along highways, Ive seen them do it all.

Just my opinion though

 

[Brodes]

I get food for my worms from the local grocery store. They are always throwing out culled produce that cannot be sold. The last batch had about 15 loaves of bread that the chickens loved as much as the papaya that was in there.


M