Home Feeding Ideas and Solutions Discussion Thread

[Sumatra503]

Here's a link to my video about chicken forages.

I grow quite a bit of my own forages from the edible plants that grow naturally in the area. Don't be too quick to dismiss weeds as pests, many of them are nutritious and edible.

 

[Lacy Blues]

As is comfrey and mealworms. I grow mealworms and wow are they easy. But I'd guess crickets are too, I've no idea. I do have comfrey growing now, the kind that makes sterile seeds so it doesn't take over the world, and it does great.

I have tried to find comfrey from time to time and haven't had much luck. Do you know where I could get some?

Here's a link to my video about chicken forages.

I grow quite a bit of my own forages from the edible plants that grow naturally in the area. Don't be too quick to dismiss weeds as pests, many of them are nutritious and edible.

Do you have some sort of an online thing that gives the nutritional benefit of those natural landscaping plants? I'd love to be able to punch in some of what we have here to see what good they are.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Oh, I originally got on here to share a piece of information I found.

For shallower ponds in the winter, you can float an inflated tire in the pond. The black tire will absorb heat from the sun and transfer that heat to the water, keeping an area ice free so your fish can breathe!

NO ELECTRICITY INVOLVED!

 

[RaZ]

Do you have some sort of an online thing that gives the nutritional benefit of those natural landscaping plants? I'd love to be able to punch in some of what we have here to see what good they are.

It's not exactly what you are looking for, but this is a good site for plant information, http://plants.usda.gov

You can search by common name or the scientific name. Then you can click on the characteristics of the plant, scroll down and see if it used for forage. There is a lot of good information there to start a more detailed search. Just be aware that there are a few mistakes and some out dated information. Also check with your local extension office.

 

[SowdersHomestead]

It's not exactly what you are looking for, but this is a good site for plant information, http://plants.usda.gov

You can search by common name or the scientific name. Then you can click on the characteristics of the plant, scroll down and see if it used for forage. There is a lot of good information there to start a more detailed search. Just be aware that there are a few mistakes and some out dated information. Also check with your local extension office.

Here's another

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thank you both, very much. I'll probably be spending some time on both of those addresses!

 

[greenegglover]

I don't know if anyone else has ever tried DDG (Dried Distiller Grain). Its a byproduct of ethanol, so if you live near a plant its cheap and easy to purchase. Its mainly protein so their is no calcuim. For chickens some college studies say not to feed more than 6% of DDG. They gave me a free sample and so far the chickens like it. I also gave it to them free choice vs mixed in and they thought they were eating ice cream.(LOL)
So far Im happy with the results. Theyve maintained egg production and weight, same old girls. The advantage I see is that DDG is only 13 cents per lb vs about 34 cents per lb. With corn going up im sure both will go up, but it could help strech feed costs.

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Hi. I'm a newbie chiming in. Thanks for this thread and the open discussion. This is all very fascinating and thought-provoking.

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.

I already have two dogwood bushes near our run. The girls LOVE the white berries and I know they are safe. They are not as crazy about Schubert choke cherries. They get lots of kitchen scraps and weeds, too.

As much as I want to give my girls lots of fresh, unprocessed food from my own yard or nearby, The University of Florida says

Laying chickens require a completely balanced diet to sustain maximum egg production over time.Inadequate nutrition can cause hens to stop laying. Inadequate levels of energy, protein or calcium can cause a drop in egg production. This is why it is so important to supply laying hens with a constant supply of nutritionally balanced layer food. Feeding whole grains, scratch feeds and table scraps will cause the birds diet to become imbalanced and inadequate.Many times these imbalances can cause other problems like oviductal prolapse. Prolapse may occur when the bird is too fat and/or an egg is too large and the bird's reproductive tractis expelled with the egg. Prolapse usually causes permanent damage to the hen and is fatal in many cases.

University of Florida - "Factors Affecting Egg Production in Backyard Chicken Flocks"
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps029

I'll keep tossing weeds, kitchen scraps and berries into their run and let them munch on whatever they find when they are free, but I'm very nervous about replacing their diet entirely with what I can find for them. The alternative, I suppose, is studying poultry nutrition, making the best homemade feed I can and tracking the results.

My theory is that our backyard flocks produce eggs based on factors other than available light hours.

You've probably already read all the research that's out there, but for the rest of us The University of Florida says

There are numerous factors which may adversely affect egg production in backyard chicken flocks. If a drop in egg production occurs, investigate the cause by answering questions that followalso refer toTable 1 andTable 2, sick and recently dead birds to a state diagnostic lab, and/or consult with your County ExtensionAgent or a veterinarian.

1. How old are the birds?
2. How much feed are the birds consuming daily?
3. Has the level of feed consumption changed lately?
4. Has there been a change in the type of feed used?
5. Is the feed moldy?
6. How much light do the birds receive daily? Has it changed?
7. What is the light source?
8. What is the condition of the poultry houses?
9. Are the birds getting enough clean water?
10. What is the condition of the birds?
11. How active are the birds?
12. What is shell quality like?
13. What is interior egg quality like?
14. Are there any signs of disease?
15. Are the birds crowded?
16. Are there any signs of parasites?
17. Do the birds have access to different plants?
18. Have any pesticides or herbicides been used in the area?

As for light, they state,

Hens need about 14 hours of day length to maintain egg production. The intensity of light should be sufficient to allow a person to read newsprint at bird level. The decreasing day length during the Fall and shorter day lengths in the Winter would be expected to cause a severe decline,or even cessation, in egg production unless supplemental light is provided. When production ceases, the birds may also undergo a feather molt. Hens exposed to only natural light would be expected to resume egg production in the Spring.

I really think the decline in egg production had a great deal to do with stress from being exposed to the winter elements.

This makes me wonder if the hens who receive supplemental lighting are benefiting from the supplemental heat.


Quote:

If you figure in your labor for a lot of jobs, then you're losing money depending on what you pay yourself.

Some people have a gym membership. I have a garden. The garden is "free" until I "pay" with the time I spend on my "workouts". My suburban farm keeps me off Prozac and will one day feed me.

 

[Clay Mudd]

I have tried to find comfrey from time to time and haven't had much luck. Do you know where I could get some?

Here's one source:

http://www.coescomfrey.com/Coes_Comfrey___Order.html

You can also usually find it on Ebay.

 

[galanie]

I've forgotten who I ordered my Comfrey from but Clays link is as good as any! Be sure to get the Bocking like in that link. Those are the ones with sterile seeds. You propagate them by root cuttings.

As for the distillers grains, a number of years ago a local distillery started making a horse food from their spent grains. It was cheaper than the other feeds and they got a lot of my horse friends to buy it. I kept mine on Omelene and Oats. Well, a little time went by and most of the horses fed this stuff got Colic. From that experience, I'm reluctant to make that a big part of any animal's diet. The small percentage makes really good sense to me.