Home Feeding Ideas and Solutions Discussion Thread

[galanie]

If your could plant mulberry trees in their runs... starting with young trees you'd have to fence them off til they got big enough.  Then the mulberries could be for your birds. Shake a few branches and the fruit falls to t he ground for them.  I've read where one person planted tomatoes to climb on the wire of the run and the chickens get all those tomatoes.  Comfrey is good for them but it couldn't be in the run as they would decimate it.
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Sounds like you have a working plan.  Hope it goes well for  you.

 

Yes. The best way is to plant whatever on the other side of the run fence. That way they can get part of it through the fence but not destroy the whole plant. Comfrey, tomatoes, whatever. And of course the fruit trees can be in the run and unprotected once they're big enough and established.

 

[Epreciado]

This is a great thread and it has given me many ideas. I have looked into the mealworms and was thinking about the maggots but will put off on that till I am sure they wont harm my chickens. I am also considering the duckweed.

I was outside cleaning the yard today and I noticed I have just about three acreas of prickle pear fruits growing. I was wondering if the chickens could eat these. I know they are safe for human consumption so would it be a safe guess to say they are safe for chickens, If they are I am going to start picking them and may freeze some to give them year round. Any information on this would be helpful.

 

[Lacy Blues]

This is a great thread and it has given me many ideas. I have looked into the mealworms and was thinking about the maggots but will put off on that till I am sure they wont harm my chickens. I am also considering the duckweed.

I was outside cleaning the yard today and I noticed I have just about three acreas of prickle pear fruits growing. I was wondering if the chickens could eat these. I know they are safe for human consumption so would it be a safe guess to say they are safe for chickens, If they are I am going to start picking them and may freeze some to give them year round. Any information on this would be helpful.

I think the little tiny hair-sized spines on them might be harmful? Like when they stick in your fingers, only imagine it in your mouth and throat. If you have an easy way to peel them?

 

[galanie]

Many just burn the thorns, etc. off them. But that's work and I'd rather they were just able to do it themselves. I love prickly pears though hehe. I'd probably do it for me but not for the birds.

 

[Epreciado]

Okay thanks the information I will see if there is an easy way to remove the thorns or the skin. If not I found a lot of different recipes to make jam. Thanks again for the info.

 

[fowlsessed]

I'm researching raising black soldier flies, sound to be easy and inexpensive. Anyone done it?

 

[aceintoledo]

I have a little bit of space (3'x9') and was wondering if there is something anyone could recommend me to plant that would be good for the chickens to turn loose on in the fall?

 

[RyeRanch]

You could plant a cover crop -I know that field peas and barley are good ones for a fall crop. One they get established the chickens can graze it.

 

[Kassaundra]

I have a little bit of space (3'x9') and was wondering if there is something anyone could recommend me to plant that would be good for the chickens to turn loose on in the fall?

If this is just going to be a grazing section and not their total run space it is small enough I think I would make a raised wire floor on the ground and plant under that allowing the plants to grow up through the wire, the chickens walk on the wire floor and eat the greens, but can't uproot or kill the plant from the root. They are easy to reseed as needed. Google chicken salad bar.

 

[keegan211]

i feed my chickens and chicks crumble scratch and pellets mixed together but not getting lot of eggs what should i do