Growing Your Chicken's Own Feed?

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Thanks for all the info Sky! That's really cool that the local grocery gives you scraps, I'll see if I can get our grocer to do that since we are good friends.

LunaticCafe, My chickens love Acorns! Here's a thread I started a few days ago: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/689171/acorns-acorns-acorns

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Anybody tried wheatgrass? Supposedly it is a miracle food, but I don't know how it works for chickens..

 

[triplepurpose]

Thanks for all the info Sky! That's really cool that the local grocery gives you scraps, I'll see if I can get our grocer to do that since we are good friends.

LunaticCafe, My chickens love Acorns! Here's a thread I started a few days ago: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/689171/acorns-acorns-acorns

Your welcome! It also occurred to me that If you happen to be marketing your eggs, there may be some weird, dumb regulation against feeding scraps. I sell a few eggs now and then, and none of my customers have a problem with it, but you might want to look into that just so you don't unwittingly walk into something awkward if that's the case. Personally, I like to at least know what the rules are before I bend or break them... Cheers!

 

[Sylvestor12]

For storing of grains for Winter get sunflowers, corn, oats, acorns, and whatever grains you want to put in your mix. All the bags of feed that you buy, save them after use. During summer when you get your grain harvests, store alot of it in those bags, seal them, and store them somewhere dry. For greens during Winter, get kale. I'm fairly certain you plant it in mid fall and pick leaves off of it throughout the Winter. In summer, I'd focus on the plants and let them free range as much as possible. If you can, I'd say to buy alfalfa seeds in bulk and use it for your whole lawn if it's nice 'n sunny. Once it grows up, mow different parts of it every few days, throw the clippings to them, and let them scratch around in both for bugs. If it can't live through your Winters, let it get seeds before it gets cold so you save money for next years alfalfa. As for calcium, Any eggshells you get, grind them up and sprinkle it in their food. If you have time, when you eat shellfish (clams, muscles) grind the shells into their food for joint health and calcium. Hope this helps!

Keep us updated!

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Your welcome! It also occurred to me that If you happen to be marketing your eggs, there may be some weird, dumb regulation against feeding scraps. I sell a few eggs now and then, and none of my customers have a problem with it, but you might want to look into that just so you don't unwittingly walk into something awkward if that's the case. Personally, I like to at least know what the rules are before I bend or break them... Cheers!

I only sell to my neighbors and occasionally (don't tell the health inspector) I give my mom some eggs for her restaurant when they are out. But, it is not really illegal because I never SELL them to the restaurant. They do eat a lot of scraps though (restaurant

) and I haven't had a problem, if anything the eggs taste better!

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Thanks for all the info Sylvestor12!

I think I'll try Kale this fall, and I'll grow some wheat and oat grass inside this winter. Then in growing season I think I'll start some corn, sunflowers, and one other thing (we'll see what it is). We also have 5 apple trees, so I'll be saving some of those in the cellar and feed those to them over the winter.

I'm looking at what the nutritional content of these foods are, so that I can get an estimate of how much commercial feed I can replace.

I'm so excited to get started! Thank you for the help!

 

[Sylvestor12]

Your welcome!

My family has always argued for self-sufficiency, reliance on anybody can be dangerous sometimes. Last, I'd save enough seeds from your harvests to plant next years crop money-free.

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

I agree! I hate relying on the feed store for something I don't really need to spend 60 bucks a month on.

My grandfather just retired as a Purina Salesman and he used to always tell me to buy their products. I just told him, "You know, I don't really care for your poultry products, my chickens just don't really care for your layer." He just said, "Ehhh, I guess that's fair." Although, whenever someone was interested in ShowChow he was back in salesman mode! I'm not sure what he would think about my new "endeavor."

Also, I forgot to put alfalfa on my list. I definitely want some of that, one neighbor told be it was really good for yolks.

 

[Sylvestor12]

It's a very rich grass, having different vitamins and such that go into the yolk, enhancing it.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

Something else to plant for your chickens is peanuts. I was going to plant some this year, but only got as far as sprouting some in peat pots... they are still in the peat pots on my back porch. They say that the foliage is tasty (I just picked a handful of leaves to test that, the leaves didn't last 10 seconds... they LOVE em!). The peanuts they will (hopefully) produce are said to be a high-protein chicken feed (I LOVE plants that are dual-purpose). The plant itself is really pretty too.