Growing fodder for chickens

[Sunflowergirl]

Anyone have recommendations on where to get comfrey seed? None of the companies I usually order seed from carry it.

My herb book recommends growing it from transplants or root cuttings. I "googled" it and was able to pull up various herb companies that offered it. Apparently it is a bit hard to start from seed. I am interested in growing this also. But I have run across many sites that caution against taking this internally because of a chemical in it that can cause liver damage. Has anyone has problems like this with their chickens eating the comfry?

 

[Eva2012]

I have ordered from Horizon Herbs before and they are very reliable. Here are their comfrey listings:

https://www.horizonherbs.com/search.asp?mode=results

 

[AnotherSusan]

Anyone have recommendations on where to get comfrey seed? None of the companies I usually order seed from carry it.

You want to get roots. Do not get the kind that can be propagated by seed. Seeds end up where you don't want them and comfrey has a very deep root and is hard to eradicate.

Get roots, plant it where you want it. Want more? Wait a year and divide your plants. Just a small root will grow.

This stuff is tough, I ordered mine last year from Coe's Comfrey and my 10 roots arrived in March. We were in the process of buying a house and due to close about the time the roots arrived. The deal fell through and we did not get our house till the middle of June.

I took the roots with me the day after closing and was going to plant them after I did some work inside the house. I fell and broke my ankle badly and the roots sat in the refrigerator for another six weeks until I could coerce my son into putting them in some dirt.

He took a big round tub and filled it half full of dirt scraped up out of the chicken yard, watered it thoroughly and left. It was not until the end of August when I was finally able to get around on my own outside that I realized he had not put a drainage hole in the tub and the water was up to the top, no growth. I took my drill and made a hole and four of the ten roots grew at that point. The chickens loved it.

It died down over winter but is sprouting already. I will be planting it around the chicken yard. It would probably grow great under rabbit cages as straight urine is not too strong for it. Chicken poop can go on straight as well.

It really is great stuff, but be mindful where you plant it.

 

[Sunflowergirl]

Thanks AnotherSusan! Very helpful information!!!

You want to get roots. Do not get the kind that can be propagated by seed. Seeds end up where you don't want them and comfrey has a very deep root and is hard to eradicate.

Get roots, plant it where you want it. Want more? Wait a year and divide your plants. Just a small root will grow.

This stuff is tough, I ordered mine last year from Coe's Comfrey and my 10 roots arrived in March. We were in the process of buying a house and due to close about the time the roots arrived. The deal fell through and we did not get our house till the middle of June.

I took the roots with me the day after closing and was going to plant them after I did some work inside the house. I fell and broke my ankle badly and the roots sat in the refrigerator for another six weeks until I could coerce my son into putting them in some dirt.

He took a big round tub and filled it half full of dirt scraped up out of the chicken yard, watered it thoroughly and left. It was not until the end of August when I was finally able to get around on my own outside that I realized he had not put a drainage hole in the tub and the water was up to the top, no growth. I took my drill and made a hole and four of the ten roots grew at that point. The chickens loved it.

It died down over winter but is sprouting already. I will be planting it around the chicken yard. It would probably grow great under rabbit cages as straight urine is not too strong for it. Chicken poop can go on straight as well.

It really is great stuff, but be mindful where you plant it.

 

[NotAFarm]

He took a big round tub and filled it half full of dirt scraped up out of the chicken yard, watered it thoroughly and left. It was not until the end of August when I was finally able to get around on my own outside that I realized he had not put a drainage hole in the tub and the water was up to the top, no growth. I took my drill and made a hole and four of the ten roots grew at that point. The chickens loved it.

It really is great stuff, but be mindful where you plant it.

Did you put it in a tub because you worried about it spreading too much?

 

[AnotherSusan]

Did you put it in a tub because you worried about it spreading too much?

No, I had my son put it in the tub because I could not plant it myself and could not get anyone else to plant it properly. The tub ensured that it would not be planted in the ground where I did not want it to grow. The roots go deep and it regrows from just a bit of root. Don't plant it where you don't want it.

Now that I am back on my feet, I will plant it where I want it this spring, which is around the outside of the chicken run, where they can reach it but not decimate it.

 

[TheCrazyChick]

I have been growing wheat berry fodder successfully for several months and would like to branch out now. Barley is next on my list. Living in a city I have limited access to feed stores. We do have a few TSC though. Where will I find barley that is sproutable?

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I have been growing wheat berry fodder successfully for several months and would like to branch out now. Barley is next on my list. Living in a city I have limited access to feed stores. We do have a few TSC though. Where will I find barley that is sproutable?

You can usually get seed in bulk, or at a lower price at a feed mill. You might check around in your area and see if you have any that are close by.

Just make sure you buy Whole Barley...and not rolled barley. : )

~ Aspen

 

[ms4runr]

Here are more pics of my fodder system. Thanks for the interest. I do notice the birds are heathier, better hatch rates for my hatchery and the eggs (so I am told by my customers) are smoother and creamier.

I want to know where and how many holes. Along the edge, throughout the whole bottom? I used a bit of miracle grow in nursery flats and so far so good, but I lie the idea of no soil and the clear tubs. The only thing is I do not have, nor will have, an automatic watering system so that may hinder me from trying to do it with no soil.

 

[Kassaundra]

You want to get roots. Do not get the kind that can be propagated by seed. Seeds end up where you don't want them and comfrey has a very deep root and is hard to eradicate.

Get roots, plant it where you want it. Want more? Wait a year and divide your plants. Just a small root will grow.

This stuff is tough, I ordered mine last year from Coe's Comfrey and my 10 roots arrived in March. We were in the process of buying a house and due to close about the time the roots arrived. The deal fell through and we did not get our house till the middle of June.

I took the roots with me the day after closing and was going to plant them after I did some work inside the house. I fell and broke my ankle badly and the roots sat in the refrigerator for another six weeks until I could coerce my son into putting them in some dirt.

He took a big round tub and filled it half full of dirt scraped up out of the chicken yard, watered it thoroughly and left. It was not until the end of August when I was finally able to get around on my own outside that I realized he had not put a drainage hole in the tub and the water was up to the top, no growth. I took my drill and made a hole and four of the ten roots grew at that point. The chickens loved it.

It died down over winter but is sprouting already. I will be planting it around the chicken yard. It would probably grow great under rabbit cages as straight urine is not too strong for it. Chicken poop can go on straight as well.

It really is great stuff, but be mindful where you plant it.

I also got my roots from Coe's comfrey, he is a very nice and knowlegable man that will talk your ear off about comfrey!!!! lol lol lol