HOW TO FEED YOUR CHICKENS if there is no scratch or pellets?

[preciouschick]

What's your property like, since you mention a lack of pine shavings, and an interest in composting???

I happen to have acres, so I gather leaves from the fallen trees for a "deep litter" system in my coops. That's nothing but chicken droppings on deep litter (inches deep oak leaves, mostly, with some others mixed in, and even small twigs). Pile in another 4-6" about 4x yearly. Once a year, shovel out a rich mix for my raised beds. Without the sticks, fallen leaves are fine for bedding material in the nesting boxes, too - as is straw or even pine needles (assuming your boxes stay dry - poth straw and pine needles can mat down, and matted anything plus moisture is a problem.

Note that deep litter is a SLOW compost system. I put about 20" in, I get about 2-3" out, after 12 months. It is nothing but brown (the fallen leaves) and "green" - the very high nitrogen chicken droppings.

Conventional composting is a mix of brown and green, 50/50, with the "green" provided usually by fresh grass clippings and kitchen scraps. Its a hot process, and a fast process, made faster by aeration and/or turning. Assuming the composting doesn't get "stuck" (usually due to being trapped under a matted layer of pine needles, or a high water level from rains), composting usually completes in 3-4 months. Tumbler systems can do it even faster, though with very small quantities at a time.

the only trees i have are maple. can i use maple leaves?
do pine shavings work good for the deep litter method?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

the only trees i have are maple. can i use maple leaves?
do pine shavings work good for the deep litter method?

YES and YES.

Basically, thin and irregularly shaped works well for deep litter. THICK (like pine bark or wood chunks) does not, nor do regular "needle" shapes - which tend to weave into mats, like pine needles.

 

[DonyaQuick]

My husband went to tractor supply and they had no pine shavings. I may need to rethink that as well. We did find some at another TS store. but what happens when there is none.

Shavings have been getting progressively less reliable in my area too. Started happening late last year as other supply chain issue were starting to ramp up. My coop is small and I can't do deep litter on the inside portion of it, so I found a large, long-handled wire litter scoop online that has just the right spacing for chicken turds. I switched from large to small size shavings (yellow bag) to work with the kitty-litter-like cleaning method. While it takes more time to clean my coop now, it has both helped my composting by not overloading it with shavings and I went from a bag of shavings per month to a single bag now lasting around 3 months. So far that has let me ride out the supply irregularities for shavings.

 

[sandburRanch]

Your error is a tiny one in assuming that all of Florida is a sandbar. Probably 98% of it is a sandbar suited to alfalfa, though some of it is underwater. I made the same assumption myself. However oh, my property is spitting distance from Alabama, about 150 feet in elevation higher than most of the state. My soils have a large percentage of what I would previously call Georgia red clay. I do all right with some clovers and of course the Subterranean clover. It's quite possible that with a lot of effort I could do Alfalfa here as well, but without that effort it does very poorly in my soil. If I drove 40 miles south it would be a whole different story.

I don't recall assuming anything . If sample testing soil is assuming that would not be intelligent assuming but for some reason it's a common practice . My soil that i assumed was sand because everyone around this area calls it sand , but my soil shows more clay than sand . I tested ours to determine if it was suitable to compact for concrete . Test it or don't test it , it really makes me no difference but the OP my desire to do just that .

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

With the current events and talk of no fertilizer. The fear of losing animal feed is real. So I've been researching going through all of my homesteading books trying to find ways to feed my chickens and keep them healthy and producing with no layer pellets and no grains. I have found a few amazing videos as well, on composting with chickens which I've been doing since I've got my chickens. (Last spring) That was one reason I was really thrilled to have my own so I didn't have to go to my friend's house and beg poop from them.

What I'm finding is that composting and letting your chickens pick through compost, they eat the bugs they turn the compost and they leave their own little nuggets of nutrients behind. Is an excellent way to grow my crops.
Also there are crops you can grow just to feed your chickens which I was doing last year to supplement but now know, that there are ways to feed and I don't have to grow an entire crop of corn for the girls, which I have been failing miserably at, just trying to grow for our own table.
Hoping that my chicken poop would help me yield a better crop of corn for our family plus all my other veggies. But I do not have to grow another crop just for my chickens?
Which I just do not have the room.

So I thought I would start sharing some of the things that I am learning on how to feed your girls and boys, if there is no rural King to supply you with your chicken feed.
Anyone else interested in this? Anyone else have their own advice to give an ideas to share? I'd be happy to hear.
Just for fun, this is fluffy. Who's not so fluffy at the moment. She's molting. Lol

LUV this!
I've taken growing our own veges as well as things for my babies and flowers instead of just buying everything.
So as I've been researching what they can and can't eat it would be awesome to learn and incorporate what they definitely need as feed replacement in the event it gets to that point...but also just to be able to supply them with more home grown things that are healthy and not just treats!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I don't recall assuming anything . If sample testing soil is assuming that would not be intelligent assuming but for some reason it's a common practice . My soil that i assumed was sand because everyone around this area calls it sand , but my soil shows more clay than sand . I tested ours to determine if it was suitable to compact for concrete . Test it or don't test it , it really makes me no difference but the OP my desire to do just that .

Waiting on soil tests to come back - though I have some indications based on what grows on my property, as there are a few indicator species telling me I have the wrong pH.

Most of FL is just fine for Alfalfa. Just not the pasture area. Our clays are too dense at the top of the hill, and the sands too fine. Near the edges of my property, I have Gritney Loam (the septic field is set in it), and Lucy Loam - which would be suitable if I wanted to cut down the virgin timber stands and have a nice view of the roadway we border. Even the Dothan complex soil might work.

 

[sandburRanch]

LUV this!
I've taken growing our own veges as well as things for my babies and flowers instead of just buying everything.
So as I've been researching what they can and can't eat it would be awesome to learn and incorporate what they definitely need as feed replacement in the event it gets to that point...but also just to be able to supply them with more home grown things that are healthy and not just treats!

There is a book available , " Feeds and Feeding " by Frank Morrison that will cover the needs of many live stock categories . It is a compilation of information from the land grant universities in the U.S.A. Something it probably won't mention is table scraps .

 

[EliteTempleton]

Out of curiosity, where did you get those seeds from? And is there any difference in seeds for planting and seeds for birds/eating?

There are some differences:

1. Some seeds are irradiated or otherwise treated to prevent sprouting so they last longer for you in food form. Think potatoes, some sprout and some last a long time on your counter right? Options vary but organic is good for sproutables vs a random bag as it probably won't mention any antisprouting application .
2. I recently learned that "Blue label" seed potatoes come from a source that are FAR less likely to carry diseases in with them like blight, but if you're availability of seed potatoes dries up or your budget doesn't allow than organic store potatoes certainly beats nothing. Not sure chickens would eat potatoes but it's just a clear example that sometimes there's a little more to things than face value.
3. Obvious to me but maybe not everyone so I'll toss it in (not directed at anyone just posting knowledge), roasted seeds won't sprout.

What do you think of minnows and a worm bin?
I'm not sure if the chickens will eat some minnows but my ducks love them.
I have this small pond next to my back deck doing nothing at the moment so I could add some minnows in hopes that they breed.

Maybe consider catfish instead, eat the fillets and share the carcass with the birds. Maybe other options but I know catfish are very confinement and water quality tolerant and tasty (to most).
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/raising-catfish-in-a-barrel-11-03-2011-update.442419/

You can also soak your feed. Simply cover pellets or whole grain feed with water and soak overnight, it helps reduce the feed waste and saves feed.

I was just learning about the whole fermented/soaking feed thing last month or so. Was surprised to learn about the benefits and cost savings of even just the soaking. Not starting it yet but I did put it in the back of my mind should feed become scarce as it basically seems to cut double the volume of the dry stuff.

If it gets bad, feeding eggs back may be necessary as well. Or at least some of the eggs. They probably lay enough for us to still keep some for ourselves.

Don't forget about keeping the egg shells to replace oyster shells and calcium from feed also. Recipes call for baking and crushing them down for the.

I really have no woes or fears of a chicken feed shortage in 2022, seems more so a house pet issue (Of sorts), but it's always a good idea to learn ways to off set feed consumption.

Agreed, from what I have looked into we'll just have high prices in North America due to the global supply. The famine predictions by Biden, W.H.O. etc apply to places more like Africa from what I see. Still we have farmers planting more soybeans than corn or wheat this year than historically, labor, transportation issues. There will be no harm in all us trying to lessen demand and learning. Even if we fail we learned so if next year is worse we can proceed with first hand knowledge instead of just our BYC and YouTube University degrees to guide us.

What are you sprouting and where did you get it?

The best resource for info, as I've recently started, I came across is here, including seed charts with nutrition value and volume of growth per seed info: https://sproutpeople.org/growing-sprouts/sprouting-basics/
An unexpected bonus is they don't need sunlight to sprout so you don't have to have a window ledge.

I watched a video where you take an old bucket or new your choice, drill a bunch of holes in the bottom, hang it about chest height where your chickens hangout and put meat in it. Old meat cooked or raw. Let the flies do their job and the larva drop through the holes and the chickens eat them. He says the higher you hang it, the breeze takes the stink away. I'm not sure about it, but I thought about hanging one from a tree in the far back of my yard by the compost bins. Anyone with thoughts about that?

I saw a video as well on this using road kill or pests you trap like your egg eating raccoon. My wife won't let me try it yet so let me know how it works for you!

We've had trouble finding cat food too. Had to go off brand.

We've managed to keep enough but our last trip they only had the smaller bags. Thankfully our cat prefers a primary diet of mice, voles and such, rarely a bird. Which is also his job around here that he executes well.
We used to can our hunting trimmings (like the gristle and such) for dog food with some rice and basic veggies like peas and carrots in the little jars and give them as treats on like Fridays. They loved it! (No longer with us ). The cats pretty new around here but will probably make the same for him this fall in the tiny jelly canning jars.

Alright, I'm thinking of ordering the following-

Thoughts? Does anyone else have anything to add? I'm interested to see what others are buying and planting.

Add your favorite Mellon, zucchini, spaghetti squash or something. They grow in high volumes and it's fun to watch them eat these too!
We're doing spaghetti squash as I'm allergic to wheat. We tried a recipe before where you use it in place of spaghetti and it was actually pretty dang good and sorta pasta like. It's easier to just buy the corn or rice pasta and cook that but with the prices and supply chain issues at least we know we can make a yummy faker. The flock will have to split the scraps with our new pigs though.

Also want to say that I think variety would be important

Agreed, time is short to learn the best planting options as it's already planting time in some areas. Just remember the old saying "eat the rainbow" and get started, something beats nothing!

Can someone give a more indepth, on how and more what to put in your compost.
thank you

Ann of all Trades has an excellent video on this:

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Lastly, FYI sunflowers can be used to clean up spill sites so careful depending on where you plant them (like next to your driveway) the seeds might have toxins.

 

[chickyturkeyemulady]

I have been sprouting (oats, wheat, BOSS) and fermenting (oats, wheat, milo + a dry mix I add to it after decanting, just before feeding) feed for my chickens and turkeys for years now. It takes a little time to get a system and rhythm going, but is worth it - my birds love it. That said, I'm still concerned about the future availability and cost of the whole grain ingredients that go into it. The cost had already gone up considerably over the last year, and now it's increasing steadily. With prices going so high, I will have to raise my egg and meat prices again soon

 

[eastereggfan]

No. My pond is way too big for a small solar pump. I've looked. Imagine a "pond" measuring 20' x 30' by about 3' deep - almost 5' in the rainy season. That's 18-30k gallon

I have never relied solely on store bought feed for my chickens, though they have that available 24/7. I grow a lot of food but struggle in the wintertime to supplement them as much as I like. They are fed a plate of oatmeal/wet fines with mixed greens and blueberries topped with a thyme vinaigrette every day. Everything is free but the oatmeal, and there's only a little bit of that in the wet fines. Many greens can be grown indoors in the winter by a sunny window, and any excess produce from the summer is chopped small and put in the freezer to dole out over the winter. I also sprout wheat berries to stretch things further. Spring through fall is never a problem, free ranging, compost piles, gardens overflowing...my feed bill is minimal then. Winter time? Oh man its a struggle, I only have so much space I can grow inside the house. Mustard greens do well by a window, and romaine. Sweet potatoes do well under a grow light. Swiss chard will survive the winter outside under a row cover, but doesn't grow much but I can pick off it til late Jan or Feb, so that helps. We get way more eggs than we can eat, so I scramble these up and feed to the girls also when the fridge is overflowing with them. I've never tried feeding them without the commercial feed always available, so not sure of health consequences long-term if they didn't have it. But that said, my girls range from 4 years old to 8, all are healthy and everyone but the 8 yr old Cochin is still laying. Also want to say that I think variety would be important

I grew turnips this past winter for my girls. I'm in zone 8. They loved them. I kept the plants in a dog fencing cage where they could pluck away whenever without eating the crown of the plants. I got no turnips but I didn't have to worry about green forage for the girls all winter.