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

[Lor]

Cool! We don't have a ton of space ufortunetly, but I cold always create a garden bed within the coop if we needed more space. I could probably easily find locations to add other raised beds as well. Probably a good idea now that I'm thinking about it.

Good idea!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@U_Stormcrow is very knowledgeable about planting and nutrients for birds

 

[Lor]

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.
Don't know much about worm bins but willing to learn. Worm tea is good for gardens, I hear.

 

[Battlepants]

Another concept worth exploring is a Black Soldier Fly Larvae farm.

And if you can work with a local school or restaurant to get their food waste, this effectively becomes free feed! Other than the effort taken to go and get the food scraps.

Downside though is that I expect a lot of stink to happen with this.

 

[allenw]

The old timers used a lot of root crops, anything green leafy would help, meat for protein. think beyond just grain crops. With grain crops millet would be the fastest grain crop that could be grown.

Without modern feeds egg production would become more seasonal depending on what's available for feed at the time.

 

[MasAhora]

This is a great thread. In my rural area the availability of the most balanced chicken feed I can find is fluctuating significantly. I do not like to store feed too long because of mold due in our humid climate (summer and winter the humidity is quite high).
So to continue having 20-50 chickens I need a back up food supply that is convenient, healthy and independent.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Absent big equipment (which creates problems of its own), and lots of space, its basically impossible for a modern person to support any number of productive modern breeds at anything like peak condition as a matter of self sufficiency. You can't feed chickens a single crop and expect anything but dietary imbalance - and most of us can't grow and store multiple crops in the amounts needed to overwinter and replant come spring.

What we can do, depending on space, climate, soil conditions, is "bend the curve" by planting a biodiverse polyculture. The key is that there is a mix of greens and grasses coming into season at any given time.

Here's mine (last year), I'm getting back to work on it this year, after I meet with some people about my house build early in the week.

The short form is that I have multiple grasses, multiple grains, multiple legumes, and even some fruits and veggies and "leafies" always going - but no single crop they can gorge on at any given time. Even then, all I can do is reduce my commercial feed needs. With better soil, more water, something heavier than hand tools and a (much) smaller flock, I could probably get the feed bill down to nothing for about half the year, by also providing meat scraps - but note that I am beginning to approach a "working farm", in that I have chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, and ground (acres of it). I'd like to add fish to the duck pond, as well - tilapia - but I need a way to aerate the water which is both cheap and not dependent on power. Solar cells aren't in the budget right now.

 

[Weeg]

This was one of the questions I had. Glad you asked it.
Also fermented feed? I fear it getting moldy so that is why I was thinking fodder.

I used to ferment my feed, though I don't think I'll ry again until summer, its a pain having to keep it indoors since it is kind of messy.
I think that has long as you do it right, theres no risk of it molding. I would suggest trying for the first time in very warm weather though, since that will take way less time to ferment.
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.

 

[Weeg]

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.
Don't know much about worm bins but willing to learn. Worm tea is good for gardens, I hear.

I don't have much experince with that either, I bet it might work though. Probably a great source of protein. Meat scraps too, I would save any cooked, or uncooked meat scraps for the birds.
I wouldn't be opposed to raising BSFL, or worms, I think thats a great idea.
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.

 

[Weeg]

Absent big equipment (which creates problems of its own), and lots of space, its basically impossible for a modern person to support any number of productive modern breeds at anything like peak condition as a matter of self sufficiency. You can't feed chickens a single crop and expect anything but dietary imbalance - and most of us can't grow and store multiple crops in the amounts needed to overwinter and replant come spring.

What we can do, depending on space, climate, soil conditions, is "bend the curve" by planting a biodiverse polyculture. The key is that there is a mix of greens and grasses coming into season at any given time.

Here's mine (last year), I'm getting back to work on it this year, after I meet with some people about my house build early in the week.

The short form is that I have multiple grasses, multiple grains, multiple legumes, and even some fruits and veggies and "leafies" always going - but no single crop they can gorge on at any given time. Even then, all I can do is reduce my commercial feed needs. With better soil, more water, something heavier than hand tools and a (much) smaller flock, I could probably get the feed bill down to nothing for about half the year, by also providing meat scraps - but note that I am beginning to approach a "working farm", in that I have chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, and ground. I'd like to add fish to the duck pond, as well - tilapia - but I need a way to aerate the water which is both cheap and not dependent on power. Solar cells aren't in the budget right now.

I agree with this statement. To scratch the surface of creating a balanced diet, we would need to grow as large a variety of crops for them as possible. I'm thinking I might start a bed in some leaf litter we have under our two large maple trees. We don't use the area for anything, and its fairly large.
I'm thinking of planting, soy, corn, black oil sunflowers, millet or similar, leafy greens, root vegetables, and fodder. Just trying to provide as much variety as possible will be important. I'll probably feed eggs back and provide meat scraps as well. If I do end up having to go through a feed shortage in my area.