Home Feeding Ideas and Solutions Discussion Thread

[furbabymum]

We did a concrete pond a few years ago and also had real leaking problems. I had to patch it and then coat it with a epoxy coating that was safe for fish before it stopped leaking. Then I had to deal with the air bubbles that formed over the years in the epoxy. I would definately use a liner material before using concrete again. Ended up spending a lot more with the concrete in the end (between the concrete, expoxy and the lost water.) Water is scarce in NM and I was losing a lot, but not right at first.

I have to say it's nice to know I'm not the only one who has had this issue. I see all these people on the duck forum with cement ponds and kept wondering how I went wrong.

 

[galanie]

I too ended up using a liner in my concrete pond. I'll never mess with concrete again for ponds.

 

[Steemroo]

Going off "Please emphasize pragmatic, inexpensive solutions as much as possible" from the founding post of this thread, I want to ask something basic. I haven't read all 53 pages (but have skimmed them - will try to get through all), and I get that the main thrust of this post is to replace store-bought feed with pragmatic and cheap food - but - at some point almost all of us will have to rely on store bought food (in many cases, a LOT). Particularly the grain part. Treats seem easy to come by. Grain - not so easy, at least for me.

I've noticed in numerous posts people talking about using a locally owned rural mill that GRINDS THEIR OWN feed - and paying about HALF what I pay at a big city feed store. I grew up sometimes going to such a mill and have fond memories of it - the smells - the big wood beams - bare bones - dedicated purely to supporting area farmers (no fussy stuff). Of course they can charge half! They don't have to pay big city rent - they get raw grains right off a train or truck - and their machinery was paid for in 1968 - and still works. Anyway, I don't think there is such a place within reasonable driving range of where I live now (Los Angeles) - but - if anyone knows of such a mill anywhere near L.A. - please tell me!

I've also been looking into grinding my own, even if I have to use my dumb coffee mill. But I can't find cheap grain anywhere. To compete with my big city feed store's bargain mash, it'd half to average under 50 cents a pound. And it doesn't (where I live). Corn is normally about $5 a bushel, or that's what the farmer gets - this year it's almost twice that (if it rains next year, the price will drop). I'm thinking there's got to be a way to buy corn, oats and wheat for closer to that cost (without being related to a farmer) - but I've researched co-ops and so on in my area. So Cal is about paying a helluva lotta money and never complaining about the price - we're all supposed to be rich here (HAH) - and ultra cool. What bosh. Anyway, I'm going to grow some winter wheat soon, or try to. I can grow a little corn in the summer, and I can squeeze in potato patches here and there - and peas and etc. I know beer brewers and at times may be able to get spent barley (will research the pros and cons of that) - but it won't be reliable.

I just feel we're paying way WAY too much for the bulk of our chickens' diets - the grains. What does a bushel of corn weigh? 56 pounds. Farmers get about 8-9 cents a pound normally, and about twice that this year (about 17 cents a pound now). Well, I pay 50 cernts a pound for mash (likely to go up) - for people to store the grain, drive it to a mill, grind it and bag it, then drive it to my store - and I pay them to run the store - and all the taxes and stuff all those people have to pay. Am I crazy to think I'm paying too much?

Any thoughts?

 

[Lacy Blues]

Going off "Please emphasize pragmatic, inexpensive solutions as much as possible" from the founding post of this thread, I want to ask something basic. I haven't read all 53 pages (but have skimmed them - will try to get through all), and I get that the main thrust of this post is to replace store-bought feed with pragmatic and cheap food - but - at some point almost all of us will have to rely on store bought food (in many cases, a LOT). Particularly the grain part. Treats seem easy to come by. Grain - not so easy, at least for me.

I've noticed in numerous posts people talking about using a locally owned rural mill that GRINDS THEIR OWN feed - and paying about HALF what I pay at a big city feed store. I grew up sometimes going to such a mill and have fond memories of it - the smells - the big wood beams - bare bones - dedicated purely to supporting area farmers (no fussy stuff). Of course they can charge half! They don't have to pay big city rent - they get raw grains right off a train or truck - and their machinery was paid for in 1968 - and still works. Anyway, I don't think there is such a place within reasonable driving range of where I live now (Los Angeles) - but - if anyone knows of such a mill anywhere near L.A. - please tell me!

I've also been looking into grinding my own, even if I have to use my dumb coffee mill. But I can't find cheap grain anywhere. To compete with my big city feed store's bargain mash, it'd half to average under 50 cents a pound. And it doesn't (where I live). Corn is normally about $5 a bushel, or that's what the farmer gets - this year it's almost twice that (if it rains next year, the price will drop). I'm thinking there's got to be a way to buy corn, oats and wheat for closer to that cost (without being related to a farmer) - but I've researched co-ops and so on in my area. So Cal is about paying a helluva lotta money and never complaining about the price - we're all supposed to be rich here (HAH) - and ultra cool. What bosh. Anyway, I'm going to grow some winter wheat soon, or try to. I can grow a little corn in the summer, and I can squeeze in potato patches here and there - and peas and etc. I know beer brewers and at times may be able to get spent barley (will research the pros and cons of that) - but it won't be reliable.

I just feel we're paying way WAY too much for the bulk of our chickens' diets - the grains. What does a bushel of corn weigh? 56 pounds. Farmers get about 8-9 cents a pound normally, and about twice that this year (about 17 cents a pound now). Well, I pay 50 cernts a pound for mash (likely to go up) - for people to store the grain, drive it to a mill, grind it and bag it, then drive it to my store - and I pay them to run the store - and all the taxes and stuff all those people have to pay. Am I crazy to think I'm paying too much?

Any thoughts?

That's why we have this thread. Apparently, you can grow grains in a fairly small area. You can check out the website www.groworganic.com It's run by Peaceful Valley Farms and they have some short instructional video clips on how to do some things. I imagine once you get good at it, your harvests will be higher than whatever you get your first year.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Alas, I live in the mountains where we grow rocks.

It's really tough to grow much where I'm at and my attempt at growing corn was pathetic when the heat and dry season hit.

I get organic vegetable and fruit scraps (large boxes -- anywhere from 1 to 5 boxes at a time!) and buy cheap expired bread for animal food. Scraps from leftovers, including canning, go to the birds. I can usually make 7 days worth of feed extend to about 10 days with this.

I also mix Stock and Stable 14 with layer pellets. So, I go through 100 lbs of feed with the adult chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys along with the extra stuff.

 

[RaZ]

Have you thought of raised beds or container gardening?

For those of you trying duckweed (Lemna minor), I think I forgot to mention that they like a LOT of light. And once it starts to cool down at night, they stop reproducing and start dying off. My 10 x 10 pond was covered all summer long and now it is down to about 25%.

 

[Verockica]

I'm pretty sure my six girls could live on just the PB&J crusts my kids won't eat!

 

[carolb5]

I have just come in from harvesting BOSS. I started the seeds May 1 in my greenhouse. Put them out 3 weeks later. We just had our first frost so I am cutting off the heads and will dry them on a bench in the garage. I got my organic seed from a garden supply store who was selling them to use for sprouts for humans. I'll feed a whole head a day to supplement my grain. I don't feed commercial mix, just whole grains. Has anyone else raised BOSS?

Carol

 

[Lacy Blues]

I have just come in from harvesting BOSS. I started the seeds May 1 in my greenhouse. Put them out 3 weeks later. We just had our first frost so I am cutting off the heads and will dry them on a bench in the garage. I got my organic seed from a garden supply store who was selling them to use for sprouts for humans. I'll feed a whole head a day to supplement my grain. I don't feed commercial mix, just whole grains. Has anyone else raised BOSS?

Carol

You got frost already? Where do you live?

I'd like to hear what you feed your birds if you don't use any commercial mix. How do their feathers look? How is their health, energy, etc etc etc? How long have you been feeding that way? How many birds do you have?

I haven't raised BOSS yet but I have a large supply of them in a bag. I think I may save some for planting next spring.

Welcome to the thread!

 

[Zanna]

I have just come in from harvesting BOSS. I started the seeds May 1 in my greenhouse. Put them out 3 weeks later. We just had our first frost so I am cutting off the heads and will dry them on a bench in the garage. I got my organic seed from a garden supply store who was selling them to use for sprouts for humans. I'll feed a whole head a day to supplement my grain. I don't feed commercial mix, just whole grains. Has anyone else raised BOSS?

Carol

I grow sunflowers of all kinds, most are volunteers from my first planting 10 years ago! Dry them to feed in winter and feed lots of them fresh this time of year. I weave the stems through chicken wire, chain link fencing, etc. and they love to peck/eat the seeds off the head! They like the green leaves as well. Most things I supplement with (kale, chard, squash, beet tops, etc) they eat better if I hang it up rather than putting it on the ground. More of a game I guess!!

I live in the Willamette Valley and DH works in irrigation for the local farmers so we got a great deal on several barrels of dried wheat, corn and peas out of the field (for personal use as well as the chooks). One of our local feed companies makes a slightly less expensive pelleted feed designed to be fed with 50% grains so I have recently made the switch. So far the birds look great, hatchability is still great and the money saving over the winter will be huge!

I also feed small amounts daily of tuna/halibut/salmon/crab/venison scraps from our fishing/hunting ventures.

Lots of pumpkin throughout the winter, tomato's, apples, any garden goodies I can keep/freeze. Every little bit helps and I think the variety really helps their health. So far so good!