Heritage Feeds for Heritage Breeds

[Erica]

Jake, I bought a little hand grinder, it's a pain to be honest, but it does the job, and I only use it for youngsters (I sprout for the older birds). Wish I could get one of those old farm gadgets too, and do larger quantities more quickly.

My grinder is a small cheapish Italian one, but I won't rave about the quality, as the end-knob which sets the grind fineness is made of plastic, and the thread is already starting to burr...Grr.

I looked into grinders a little bit, perhaps not as much as you have. One thing I put thought into was finding a grinder that could handle oilseeds as well as grains. But it's worth considering that many grinders that aren't set up to handle oilseeds as such can probably still crack them effectively if mixed in small quantities with larger quantities of hard grains (corn or wheat or dry peas).

Would love, love, love a big old cracker with a huge flywheel...

And a chaff cutter, and, and, and...

regards
Erica

 

[Jake Levi]

Hi Eria

Thats what I am looking for, it will be, they are out there somewhere, there are home electric ones but they are way pricey for me. Just have to keep looking, I am glad someone knew what I was writing about, I remember it well. All except the brand or company name which was cast into the base.

They're out there !

 

[Chris09]

Jake,
Hand feed Grinder ($20.51)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-LARGE-P...ultDomain_0&hash=item1e6804686c#ht_500wt_1363

Chris

 

[Jake Levi]

Hi Chris

Thanks, I'd found it, nice for the price, but would be slow for a couple hundred lbs, I am looking for a larger one, this would be a very good one to have in the kitchen !

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I agree with Erica's first post about free ranging and what's available there.

I caution people that unless you have a large, lush, pristine foraging area the birds will rapidly deplete the value of what's there and serious attention needs to be paid to what else you feed them for optimal results.

 

[Jake Levi]

ChickenCanoe you are right on. Erica has made excellent points.

A range has to be maintained and fed or its just barren depleted pasture. The world is full of them. Doing no good at all.

Proper feeding has to provide nutrional density or we are just going through the motions. The easiest and most economical way that I know for homstead farmers is to do everything organically as far as possible. Thats the only real long term solution to all agriculture.

Simply applying the chicken manure to gardens and pasture will reinforce the food value of what is produced. And sooner rather then later replenish it.

We really are in this all together.

 

[Jake Levi]

A couple hand grain grinders,

first one is from http://www.Homestead-Products.com

the Family living Grinder and the other one is at:

http://www.survivalcenter.com/mills.html

Both much smaller by at least half of the ones from yesteryear, I suspect that somewhere out there is what is needed, to grind grain for a homestead chicken flock

 

[Jake Levi]

Here is another site with more like what I am talking about, these are pricier but can do a lot more, question is to find a good used large one, maybe Craigs List, or Ebay, or an actual 30s era farm one hand powered.

Anyhow, food for thought here:

http://www.aaoobfoods.com/industrialgrinders.htm

 

[KenK]

I was researching feeding cow peas to chickens and came across an article that recommended planting milo (more often referred to as grain sorghum in the south) with the peas to support the pea vines.

It seems to me that the grain sorghum might be easier to harvest and feed by hand than corn or any of the other small grains would be.

I think I'm going to give it a try with a few rows of peas next summer.

 

[Jake Levi]

Hi Ken

It is easy to feed but not as preferred as other grains, when its free choice in scratch grain its usually one of the last ones picked up. Myself I prefer to grind it to get it eaten.