How to feed chickens without buying feed

[shortstaque]

I remember reading something recently about growing your own chicken feed. I think it was in an issue of Mother Earth News. Here are two links with some more general information to get you thinking about some other things too. http://www.sustainablechicken.com/
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Homegrown.html

Also if there are other people in your area raising chickens, a buying coop is a good way to keep feed costs down, as are buying bulk and mixing rations. More info here. http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/1/1-4/Harvey_Ussery.html

My chickens eat half as much commercial feed since I have them in a chicken tractor that moves to fresh pasture daily, but it sounds like you don't have the same climate I do. Mustard greens and chard grow like weeds in my garden. I feed those to my chickens and they just keep growing back.

Good luck!!

 

[teach1rusl]

Well GOOD LUCK with the schools. In this area, most schools won't even let the kids take home the apple they didn't eat at lunch time. Three years ago the teachers at my school had to sign a contract stating that they understood that it was illegal to take any food home that had been served by the cafeteria...lol. Once more, they would rather see it rot than someone use it who could/would.

 

[Ariel301]

I have decided to build a black soldier fly larvae composting system, a homemade version of this one you can buy called the "Biopod". Basically, the soldier flies lay their eggs in there, you fill it with leftover food scraps, the larvae turn that into compost and then drop into a collection bin for feeding to the birds. It's a bit late in the year now for that to really be effective, but if I can have it running well in spring, it should be a good thing. I'm also getting a starter of some red worms from a friend, so I think if I can make several big soldier fly systems as well as a big worm bin, I can do all my composting that way, and then harvest the excess worms as protein feed when the flies are not producing during the cold part of the year. Also, I have started to work on a "chicken garden" that will have a plastic cover so I can grow things most of the year. With that plus free-range, I think it just might be possible to feed my chickens for "free"!

Or at least not need to go through a bag of feed or more a week.

 

[lovesdogs2]

It wouldn't be illegal or against grocery stores policies if people didn't sue for getting ill off food they got for free from these establishments. It's just so frustrating tho, my mom used to get tons of stuff from her local supermarket's throw aways for her chickens, but that was years ago. I would follow the previous advise and see if there is a "Gleaner" group around you and ask if you can have what they leave behind. They are probably the only ones who haven't been sued yet. Good luck.

 

[Sparklee]

Quote:
Sometimes roosters can just cause too much stress for the pullets, chasing them and such. Heavy on the "such." After a week or two, your pullets should start laying. You know, when things calm down. Some people give pullets some cayenne to give their systems a jump start on laying. If you do a search, you'll find the proper amounts. I know that mine either can't taste it or they like it.

I tried mealworms for extra protein, but I didn't have much luck using them as a primary source of animal protein. However, they are a perfect supplement for baby chicks who are trying to get feathers on them. Frankly, I wouldn't do them again because they take too much work & $$ getting started for just the baby chicks (I won't quit now, though). They aren't cost effective unless you can get the bedding for a really low price. We found some cheap wheat bran. I can't remember the figures, though, because I worked it out about 2 years ago or maybe it was last year and seems like two years ago. I've definitely had them for two years. We use apple or cabbage cores for moisture since we don't like feeding them food that we could eat. We also give them the crumbles from the bottom of the tortilla chips bag that we have trouble eating.

 

[Knives26]

https://abundantpermaculture.com/how-to-feed-chickens-without-grain/

http://theprepperproject.com/feeding-chickens-without-buying-feed/

Two good sources to use about the subject

 

[mobius]

This is an old thread but for anyone interested, as Beekissed posted, fodder would be the way to go...do a search above for the many people who love using fodder to feed their chickens. Works in the winter too!

 

[trufadog]

I know this is an old thread, but I am wondering if you found success with restaurant scraps? I asked our local pizza restaurant and they are very excited to start saving pizza and salad for me. Once they got their workers on board, which was finally yesterday, they saved me 9lbs of food in one day. I am not sure if I should also be feeding them some grain? I am sick of buying 50lbs of feed every month. I would rather bike to the pizza parlor and get free food.

 

[Folly's place]

Free food is nice, but a balanced diet is much better!
Mary

 

[centrarchid]

Here, I could reduce flock size so I had about 4 adult birds per acre during winter. Make annual reductions in flock size complete by fall to protect stock piled forage from being consumed by birds that would not be carried through winter anyway. They would be free-ranging a lot and someone would be here 24/7 with roosting moved closer to where we sleep. Make so one dog actually stays where birds sleep. Expand permiculture coverage making greater use of composting on multiple and smaller piles the birds can access. Get either about a dozen sheep or a Milking Devon cow to make so I can have some areas periodically cropped tight and feces concentrated in a area where chicks are raised during late spring and early summer only. Periodically bring in fish carcass and animal offal. Grow small amounts of flint corm and sunflower to provide dense energy source during winter months when I would have no expectations of egg production, just keeping birds alive and in good health. During periods of intense cold with deep snow, the birds might go weeks at a time on only that mix of grains and possible an animal carcass I provide. Adults can do it so long as already in good feather and not breeding. Discard breeds not well suited to free-range keeping.

The situation would not be just about how the birds are fed alternatives.