Growing your own feed

[fairie]

Okay back again. To cover the protein aspect you are better off growing bugs! Meal worms are super simple and take up little space.

You have turkeys! They eat freakin everything they are the bird version of goats. You can buy a thresher and feed them nettles! Also high in protein once they fruit( make seeds). Plus turkeys will eat thing chickens won’t like seeds from squash. Turkey chicks thrive on meal worms too.

Add wood chips 6-8 inches deep to the run. This will create a big habitat for them to fig&scratch in. Chickens dig but the turkeys graze.So growing grasses would be good.

we got rid of the turkeys after 3 years due to travel schedules. I have never had ducks. Had chickens for 7 years now finally penned them in and clipped their wings. My garden had fences everwhere to protect everything from the chickens. I needed a new plan and more gardening opportunities.

 

[NatJ]

Plus turkeys will eat thing chickens won’t like seeds from squash.

I've always offered squash seeds to chickens, and they gobble them down. Maybe it depends on the chickens, or maybe it depends on the squash?

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I've always offered squash seeds to chickens, and they gobble them down. Maybe it depends on the chickens, or maybe it depends on the squash?

I feed squash and pumpkin seeds as well. Think maybe you’re right that some chickens like them and some don’t.

 

[fairie]

I've always offered squash seeds to chickens, and they gobble them down. Maybe it depends on the chickens, or maybe it depends on the squash?

My husband chucked all the left over seeds( the ones the birds turned their noses up at) in the compost. I am now growing a whole pumpkins seed worth of squash in my compost. Always experimenting

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

My husband chucked all the left over seeds( the ones the birds turned their noses up at) in the compost. I am now growing a whole pumpkins seed worth of squash in my compost. Always experimenting

Squash and pumpkins are some of the best “volunteer” crops in my experience!

I have a large compost pile in my run. I bury seeds in the outer parts of the pile (avoiding the hotter center). They sprout in the warm, fertile medium and get gobbled up by the flock when I turn the compost.

 

[NeoHomesteader]

I am in the pine barrens of new jersey , temperate zone, with sandy loam soil . Not sure what zone number...

Lots of pine trees, actually have quite a bit of cedar, and this area is known for its "cedar water"

My wife tried growing a couple of fruit trees out on the edge of our property, so it does not get watered. They are still 4' tall, but surviving.

In our cleared land we have a dozen black walnut trees.


I am pushing 50 now, not sure I have enough life in me to wait for trees.

 

[fairie]

I am pretty sure it’s not time to put you out to pasture yet50!

you can put in apples and pears and have fruit next year. Berries produce fast and furious if you plant raspberries or any other bush type berry.

if farming feels overwhelming call it growing food.

sandy loamy soil is what we have too. But I also have 4 compost spot going. 1 is just a place where I chuck house scraps and dirty chicken house bedding. But that feeds the garden really well. A bit of compost with the plants makes a world of difference.

I highly recommend finding a fun permaculture YouTube channel that resonates or a FB page. This dude is a hoot in NJ as well.https://www.youtube.com/c/jamesprigioni