okay so I want to plant things this year that will be benfitial to my animals. Things that they can eat as well as the stuff I plant for me to eat. Last year I planted sun spot sunflowers and loved the results but I was wondering what else could I plant? Also for homemade scratch mix what all do you guys use. I am looking into buying feed in bulk when we move off local farmers as well as trading for bags of feed and was wanted to make my own scratch mix. Any tips would be great!
I don't buy scratch. We ran some corn thru the grain cleaner this year and had a gravity box full of cracked corn. I traded a few bags of oats for eggs from another farmer. Mix it all up and the birds love it. Also got some old wheat that was left in the bin to mix in there. I was wondering if the birds would like soybeans, if I put them in a chopper If you have local farmers...ask. I am sure they would sell you a feed bag full for cheap or even trade out eggs or whatever. Never hurts to ask
Raw soybeans are not good for chickens. They contain a chemical which is a protease inhibitor, as well as hemagglutins, lectins and other anti-nutritional factors. Soybeans that have been heat treated (approximately 350 degrees) are fine, as these chemicals have been destroyed in the treatment process. Extruded soybean meal is an excellent feed. It contains lots of fat and protein.
What about corn silage? Can the chickens eat that? Not too much surely as it gives even cows loose poops but it might be a treat. I remember feeding my horse grain that had molasses in it. Is it okay to mix in a small amount of scratch with some molasses?
How about fava beans? We grow them as a cover crop and usually till them under for "green manure", but I would much rather feed to the chooks!
I just plant birdseed. Buy the kind that does NOT have cracked corn or rice. Everything else will grow in Spring and Summer
Corn silage would not be a good thing to feed chickens. The only thing that they would eat is the corn kernels that are in the silage. The rest would be just waste, and it would have very little nutritional value to chickens. Add to this the fact that you would be exposing your birds to many molds, and bacteria, it wouldn't be worth the risk. I have no idea about fava beans. The best idea is to feed the nutritionally correct feed for the stage of growth that your birds are in. The colleges and universities, and the commercial feed companies have spent millions of $ on balancing these feeds, and they are formulated to provide your birds the most healthful and economical ration possible. A small amount of scratch is fine occasionally, but it should not be a major part of a bird's diet.
I mix my own scratch. I use whole fresh grains, with the emphasis on fresh, and freshly cracked corn. Corn will lose a lot of nutrients as soon as it is cracked, and more as it gets older, so it should be used as soon as possible.
Quote:I am not sure about silage. But the scratch you buy at the store has a small amount of molasses in it