I have enjoyed reading through your thread and signed up because of it.
I have a 3 small flocks of different breeds and 4 ducks Peking and khaki cambells.
You mentioned a few times duckweed lemna and other varieties, but what I had added to my pond two years ago is known in the UK as fairy moss ( Azolla
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla) which I am sure someone mentioned. Needless to say as it took over the spare space of the pond in my garden so I picked it out and threw it towards the chook enclosure, sceptics at first they barely touched it but when I threw it again the next day or two bamm it was rushed for and became their new treat as such as I didnt realise until know the nutritional benefits. I also added water cress into my pond filter system and harvest so much of it in the summer/autmn and winter I should feed more of it to them or take it down the allotment for the others.
I did however add fairy moss to my ponds and water butts at the allotmentthis year. You would think my ducks were addicts the way they behave when they see you go towards the water butts with an empty flower pot(strainer). I harvest a 5 litre pot worth at a time and add it to the small pond I have for the ducks and it is gone in minutes followed by a display of glee from the ducks that neighbours enjoy watching.
Being an allotment I have benefitted from everyones bolted lettuces, brassica leaves,old fruit- there is a horid tasting plum tree in the pen with the chooks and apart from the odd purple stained chook we did notice the eggs change flavour during fruiting season. Apples go down a treat with my girls as do old or split tomatoes from the greenhuse. One old man collects bread from a near by bakers. He always soaks it before giving it to them, something his mother from Malta used to do.
The girls take the time on the whole plant material, especially cauliflowers, the leaves were gone quickly leaving the stemy vein and head to slowly been eaten over days. Do people do much prep work on whole plants?
I do have a fruit and veg wholesale market on my road, they are great resources but you have to get up early to grab the waste before it is binned and carted away. When I worked there that was easy and I brought home so much my chooks started getting fussy and only wanted grapes
, most of it went to the compost. I feel after reading this thread and writing my reply I may start going back down in the morning for more scraps.
I do also make my girls a nice bowl of porridge on the coldest of days especially if water had frozen as it ensures they get some water and nutrition.
I do add DE to the layers pellets mix from time to time but have not really observed the results. If I add it to wet food I notice the girls are less happy to eat the food, this is the same with the cats in the house( I use it as a natural wormer for them).
I have raised mealworms for 2 years and had troubles with summer temp being too high in the shed while I was away and that I lost them all. They are really easy to keep on oats with a split potato in the plastic box for moisture and the chooks and wild birds love them. Dont use polystyrene or cardboard as the mealworms will eat through or climb out.
Has anyone tried breeding stick insects for chook food, they multiple quickly?
My last comment before I retire to bed, I do love picking off the slugs from my garden veg at night and feeding them to the chooks but note to everyone DONT FEED CHICKENS SLUGS BEFORE BED, If you do this dont expect the girls to go to bed for at least another hour as they wont believe you when you say they have all gone and they will go searching the grounds for more.
