Home Feeding Ideas and Solutions Discussion Thread

[fowlsessed]

About the ponds and fish, (and I've only read the last three pages of this thread) I would think that you could use a bath tub buried in the ground? And are there any fish that would reproduce very fast, are hardy and don't need an aerator, filter or heater? interesting topic....
Thanks,

 

[fowlsessed]

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. I cant make a compost pile in every breeding pen, I cant divide this and that that I find among all the different pens to make it worth while, I cant feed a can of scraps from the only place possible(in the feed hoppers) So I would have to have just one free-ranging flock of birds or have large breeding pens with out side sections(not an option), and I would have to have more cleared land than I do to grow more crops, I would have to grow enough stuff to feed and reseed, I would have to also rummage around and go fishing(no problem

) for more supplements.
I believe from reading this that it sound like I'm raving and against this, It's the total opposite, I'm just trying to figure out how you do it.....how I can do it, if it's really possible?
Thanks for any comments,

P.S. the more I think of it the more I know I need to do what I don't want to do....concentrate on one breed

.........cubalaya vs. ameraucans (I think) You see, I love raising the birds, but don't eat the meat or eggs. So I need to just breed a specific breed and try to sell enough birds to help pay for things.

 

[shereliza]

I feed my chickens almost all our household scraps and most of what grows in my garden during the summer. In the winter on a daily basis I feed them a cooked oatmeal mash meal in the evenings. It consists of oatmeal, homemade yogurt (found the that recipe in one of the threads here), raisins and the chicken supplement "Kickin Chicken". I will add left over fruits or veggies in place of the raisins sometimes. And if I don't have the supplement I use olive oil. It seems to help them "winter" well and my egg production doesn't drop much.

 

[looneyrooster]

I have 2 chickens at the moments,one rooster and one hen and i am just giving them leftovers and things that are not needed and not desired anymore so my chicken feed does not cost a single penny.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I had not tried the burgandy, this was my first year ever to grow it, I'm not an okra eater, so had never grown it before. I don't think it is a color thing though, they eat other green stuff I put in for them. They would have happily eaten the seeds if I cared to shell all the okra for them, which I wasn't about to do, I did cut the pods long wise hoping they would eat the seeds out by them selves, which they did not.

It is high in B vits and micro nutrients that would be great for them, I got them from Meyers Hatchery, so I kept tellling myself they aren't southern chickens that's why they won't eat the okra.

Oh and the web sites will say you can buy duckweed from pond supply stores, don't believe them, I asked at every pond supply store in a 100 mile radius of my home and most of them actually found the question offensive!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously. You can buy it online, or raid a local pond that has some.

for duckweed, Its all over ebay. all you need is a tablespoon full and sunlight/plant bulb. the stuff grows nonstop. I started with a 1 tablespoon in a 10 gal tank and it now covers my 75 gal.
My snails love it, and my oscars love the big fat snails lol.

 

[Kassaundra]

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.

 

[coloradogal]

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'd like to know where to find a bag of feed for 10$. The cheapest i can get it here for is almost $15.

 

[Kassaundra]

I'd like to know where to find a bag of feed for 10$. The cheapest i can get it here for is almost $15.

Same here, I can't get any for $10, was just using that price since that is what the other poster said they paid.

 

[fairytails]

Seems to be about $14-15 a bag here at present. We can expect that to increase as this year's corn crop suffers on account of widespread drought. Many things will be more costly by fall/winter, including beef, chicken (store-bought) eggs and yes, chicken feed! I am new to this, surely your "experience may vary".

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

In order to keep your chickens hydrated during winter, it is a good idea to fill a large bowl with snow. Chickens love snow, and some will choose it over water. Of course you should continue to give them water once a day, but the snow will keep long term, and should always be available for them.

THANK YOU! What a wonderful idea!