Home Feeding Ideas and Solutions Discussion Thread

[Lacy Blues]

Ok, good. I'm glad you're aware of it. I use zip ties too to mark my families and I try to watch them really close. So... just a trained eye acting up on me.

 

[Mumsy]

Ok, good. I'm glad you're aware of it. I use zip ties too to mark my families and I try to watch them really close. So... just a trained eye acting up on me.

Yes. Static images can be deceiving. I handle my roo a couple times a day. I have banded chickens for many years. In anticipation of the four production pullets, I've chosen a color for each bird. It's the record keeper in me. If I raise another roo from a chick, I will double band with the color of the hen as well as the daddy. I'm a very hands on owner/breeder. It's an easy and cost effective way to keep track of who beget who in a flock of same breed/colored birds. When ever I sold or gave away one of my chickens, I cut the band off.

 

[Lacy Blues]

youtube.com/watch?v=AvpIfbfVER8&feature=related

This is something I'm trying to figure out for my chicken's run to get them some greens and some shade.

 

[aggiemae]

I live in Oregon and can sprout oats, wheat, sunflower seeds and millet all winter. I jut toss a couple of handfuls in a different spot around the yard once a week, it sprouts slower than it would in warm weather but it eventually pops up and the ladies seem to find and eat it before the roots get to deep and so far I've only had a few go to seed.

This summer was so dry that I had to give my hens greens from the garden or grocery store but now that it's raining they seem to find plenty to eat. I have portable runs that fit over my raised beds good for fall clean up. am going to put one out over the asparagus next dry day. The hens will eat the fern tops, weeds, asparagus beetles and their eggs without disrupting next years crop.

 

[galanie]

Give those new pullets some Johnny Cakes!

 

[TTeddy]

I was just thinking about going out to the farmers market. I used to go get scraps all the time for my rabbit from the vendors dumpster. They toss out great veggies, I am gonna get some greens for my girls this week.

Going to the large bins they have at the back of the supermarkets would be great, especially for organics!. but they fence them in nowadays. It really annoys the heck out of me. Here in Western Australia, they have these large green bins in their fruit and vege areas and they throw out heaps of (to me) edible fruit and vegetables, especially when they pull off a lot of the outer leaves etc, before they go on show and we are paying for only half of it and they take away the best part too!! This sucks in my books.

As a shopper we are NOT allowed to back any of this waste up and take it home for our stock, not even a lettuce leaf which is sitting in the bottom of the lettuce bin!!!
WHAT THE?!

 

[aggiemae]

TTeddy, Try pointing out the savings in cost of trash hauling to the manager of your local store(s) and offer to sign a waver that the food will not be used for human consumption.

 

[Steemroo]

Some good ideas here. I'd fogotten about possibly getting free bruised/blemished produce at the store! Years ago I asked a green grocer about it, and he got mad at me - I think he assumed I was trying to get free food from him for me to eat - and didn't believe me that I wanted it for a project (not to eat)! Also, since we're all now slaves to lawyers, be ready for "store policy says no - what if someone eats it and gets sick - and sues us" - I know - HOW LAME! But I'm hearing that sort of garbage more and more and more.

Anyway, most green grocers would probably be reasonable. You gotta fight it if they're not - and I have an idea how, if you're facing this kind of crud in your area. Talk to the green grocer at a likely store first - just talk about what's good that day - buy a little of what he talks about - and mention your chickens. Maybe show him pictures of your chickens. Give him some free eggs next time, if you're fighting an uphill battle. Then ask if he can give you the stuff he throws out, after you've set up that you really are feeding chickens - and he'll get free eggs sometimes in return (you don't have to go crazy here giving eggs - it is "trash" after all that you're asking them for). You may have to go around to the back of the store to get the scraps (when the manager's not looking - yeah, I know), but there are always ways to get things done. And there are many stores around to try, unless you're in a very remote area.

Btw you won't want any citrus, onion family (except maybe garlic - some say occasional garlic feeding deworms chix), iceberg lettuce, or most so-called green cabbages. If the so-called green cabbage is mostly white (just a pale green to it), there's very little nutrition in it. Iceberg has almost none. Red cabbage and green savoy cabbage - and Napa - all good. Cucumbers have no nutrition in the white flesh, but seeds are good for chickens (squash and mellon seeds - excellent) - and I'd need to look up if cucumber skin is good for chickens (it sure isn't good for me!). Outer leaves of good lettuce, chard, and so on that aren't too wilted - bruised fruit - and so on - could be great! Just look it up, what our birds can eat - there are other sites about that here.

Man, when sweet corn's in season (or coming up from Latin America), they throw out lots of it. One little worm - one row of bad kernels - it's chicken food.

Green potatoes that they're tossing (or w/ small eyes growing out) - peel or pare them way back to the white and boil, then feed? Just be careful - green potato parts (and sprouting eyes) are toxic. If it's "too green" - don't use it, even for birds. All sorts of possibilities here, though. Maybe bread that's past its date and drying out - but not moldy (over at the bakery)?

What about growing greens in pots in winter? We're growing arugula that I let go to seed this summer. Also wheat berries will sprout and grow (feed em before they get too tall). You can grow all sorts of stuff in pots inside (or in an adequate greenhouse) - and they'd have at least some fresh greens in winter.

If you live in the Southern States you could still plant winter wheat or oats or rye outside. Chickens can eat young shoots - and you might get grain late spring next year. Peas and other legumes can grow all winter, outside, if you're not too cold an area, as do many greens - particularly cruciferous greens - and some root crops like carrots & radishes might work.

We're making our own yogurt, too. Just Google how - it's easy and cheaper than buying it.

Didn't know racoons had parasites and diseases like that - armadillos can carry LEPROSY - but iirc we can cure that w/ antibiotics now. Glad the rabbit guts are working out. Oh, restaurants throw away a lot of food, too. Pizza places often have leftover dough at night, which you could bake, freeze (or maybe feed raw). Good luck.

 

[ducks4you]

Couldn't make my way through all posts, BUT, I planted late season turnips and beets in some of my raised beds. They haven't "balled up", and I've been pulling and feeding them. Turnip seeds, especially, are VERY fertile. They also make a good "green manure" to add to the piles of horse stall waste and chicken manure next Spring. I'm gonna make my way through the thread to see other ideas.

 

[ducks4you]

Game Bird is expensive if you by the likes of Purina etc. I can get 20% game bird feed for $15/50 at the local mill. If I buy Purina 19% it would be $20. Layena is $17/50.

I'm buying generic layer pellets @ $12.99/50 lb. STILL too much$!!!!