Home Feeding Ideas and Solutions Discussion Thread

[hdowden]

can any of this be used for feeding ducks as well?

 

[bruceha2000]

What about a Craig's List ad: Will take your old pool liner away free!

Those things don't last forever. Get enough small leaks in it and you end up adding water every day - time for a new liner.

Bruce

 

[Clay Mudd]

Okay, so does everyone really think that growing this here, and that there, and this and that ect.... come out cheaper than just buying a 50# bag of layer pellets for $10? Or are you guys saving seeds, therefore eliminating the need to buy them all together? Because otherwise it would come out more expensive, and certainly be more work. I've thought many times about trying to grow and rummage around for all your feed, and I've come two a couple conclusions, yes it's possible, but every ones situation is different.

Buying bagged feed is probably cheaper for most people, but there's also the question of how good the feed is. As far as the rummaging, I most let the chickens do that part. But as you say, everyone's situation is different. I have woods for them to forage in, and a big garden divided into sections so they can always forage in one part while the others are growing.

fowelsessed, It's not about using all the ideas, but throwing out ideas and brainstorming. Everyone's circumstance is different. Different amount of chickens, diff amount of land to use, diff area of the world. Yes maybe right now it would be cheaper to go pay the $10 for a bag of feed, but not everyone can get a bag of feed for $10, and what happens when the chicken food is even more expensive, if you wait until you can't afford it, then it will be to late for these ideas to help.

I think the bolded part is the most important thing to remember when giving or getting advice here. Some of the things that are working well for me, I've seen people say won't work!

As far as cost, I'm less worried about saving money now than about what happens when feed gets more expensive, so I'm working on improving my soil, planting perennials, and so on. That's not for everybody, but what is?

 

[bruceha2000]

I have another 10 gallon aquarium. I think I will set it up for common duckweed. And I've had a preformed pond liner stored in the barn for a couple years and was just thinking I should give it away, when WAIT.... a Pond for the Duckweed! LOL

Duckweed floats and grows on the surface. A 10 gal aquarium will not hold much nor feed many chickens.

 

[SomeChickenGuy]

Homemade Poultry Feed Mix:

- 2 parts whole corn
- 3 parts soft white wheat
- 3 parts hard red winter wheat
- ½ part Diatomaceous Earth (not the kind you put in your pool)
- 1 part hulled barley
- 1 part oat groats
- 2 part sunflower seeds
- ½ part peanuts
- 1 part wheat bran
- 1 part split peas
- 1 part lentils
- 1 part quinoa
- 1 part sesame seeds
- 1/2 part kelp

This is what my Grandfather passed down to me on what he fed his chickens. I would also like to add that if anyone juices, the pulp that you normally throw away from all of those veggies and fruit, DON'T! You can feed it to your chickens as well. They love it! Or should I say, "my chickens love it."

 

[bruceha2000]

How far gone is "too far" when it comes to veg in the fridge?

If leafy things are starting to 'slime' but there is no mold, can/will the chickens eat it?

We've been putting everything even slightly questionable for people in the compost pile but I wonder if it should and can be preprocessed by the chickens.

They got carrot and cucumber peels, plus some cut grapes and a bit of yellow summer squash and cucumber (OK I sacrificed "people edible" food here) last night. We've given them watermelon rind and corn cobs before which they pick clean. This was their first time with "food preparation scraps". We'll see today what they didn't eat.

Bruce

 

[actyouandme]

What kind of feeders do you have, with no waste?

 

[fowlsessed]

Buying bagged feed is probably cheaper for most people, but there's also the question of how good the feed is. As far as the rummaging, I most let the chickens do that part. But as you say, everyone's situation is different. I have woods for them to forage in, and a big garden divided into sections so they can always forage in one part while the others are growing.

I think the bolded part is the most important thing to remember when giving or getting advice here. Some of the things that are working well for me, I've seen people say won't work!

As far as cost, I'm less worried about saving money now than about what happens when feed gets more expensive, so I'm working on improving my soil, planting perennials, and so on. That's not for everybody, but what is?

some god points that I passed over. Perennials? Are those plants that come back every year?(I'm no expert in these things) 'Cause I was thinking.....Are there any plants/grains that are good for feeding chickens that will come back every year without reseeding? Also, I was thinking about planting fruits like blueberries, bush cherries, grapes, rasp/black berries ect. for them to be able to add to their feed in take or even the human harvest and add to their feed, either way. And small things like those mentioned might even be good to plant in a run with a cage around them

.

 

[fowlsessed]

How far gone is "too far" when it comes to veg in the fridge?

If leafy things are starting to 'slime' but there is no mold, can/will the chickens eat it?

We've been putting everything even slightly questionable for people in the compost pile but I wonder if it should and can be preprocessed by the chickens.

They got carrot and cucumber peels, plus some cut grapes and a bit of yellow summer squash and cucumber (OK I sacrificed "people edible" food here) last night. We've given them watermelon rind and corn cobs before which they pick clean. This was their first time with "food preparation scraps". We'll see today what they didn't eat.

Bruce

Well, I probably wouldn't give anything slimy. Just to many blemishes, over ripe, lots of black spots, bitter ect. It's not that you are giving them stuff that's "bad". But just stuff that's "not good enough" for you to eat. I think most will agree.

 

[fowlsessed]

can any of this be used for feeding ducks as well?

Yes, for the most part. I found that ducks, if accustomed to it, would pretty much eat most anything that the chickens would.