How To Get Rich Orange Yolks, Without Freerange

[nsmile46]

My two French hens love grass so much I've had to resod the side yard 3 times now. You could offer your cooped hens a roll of a sod each week. Not expensive and they love it almost as much as the cattle do. I realize this may not be a practical solution but with us city folk who have hens that turn into pets, almost anything goes.

 

[denise70]

I hope this wasn't mentioned already, but what about growing some wheatgrass just for your hens? I was thinking of do this for the winter since there are a lack of greens - seems inexpensive and would pack a nice punch of greens.

Our hens ate pretty much all our grass in our yard from letting them free range. And, what they didn't eat got so mixed up with mud from the kids running around and the dog - just a patch of mud now (under the leaves and two feet of snow!)

 

[Beekissed]

I can get alfalfa pellets for a little over $6 per 50# bag and you only have to add a little to their feed mix, so it goes a very long way.

 

[deannd]

Quote:
Alfalfa Pellets ---- what a great idea. I have been feeding them grass hay, but it is had to feed in the winter when the grounds muddy cuz you loose it all in the mud. I will try the alfalfa pellets. Thanks

 

[fhstowe]

Day lilies (hemerocallis) aren't true lilies (liliaceae). Hemerocallis blossoms, buds, and roots are edible -- used a lot in Asian cooking. The sauteèd buds are my favorite. So I'm guessing they would be fine for chickens too.

 

[fhstowe]

I'm very new at this posting business and see now that (a) this thread is old and (b) the 'Reply" shows up at the end of the thread, not under the post it's directed to (?) ...

Anyway, it's still an interesting still an interesting thread, so on the subject of alfalfa pellets I will pass on what Harvey Ussery says in "The Small-Scale Poultry Flock." He suggests the pellets as an acceptable addition to feed mixes but points out that they are highly processes and thinks it's better to supply alfalfa hay if you can. He suggests suspending it in a net; the birds will pick out the leafy parts. I have not found a small-scale source of the hay, so haven't had a chance to try it.

Ussery's book is really good.

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

I need to try those alfalfa pellets!

This weekend while picking out a pumpkin at the local farmstand I noticed a big bucket of old tomatoes, collards and other produce. I asked the lady what they would do with it and she said 'throw it out' so I asked if I could have some. She gave me a box and I went home with a big treat for the girls. My garden is transitioning from warm to cold weather veggies so the girls are missing their garden yummies. I'm thinking of going to the grocery store and speaking to the produce manager about old produce.
As long as I can wash it, I'm willing to take it away. I'm thinking now I can keep the girls in veggies for the winter.
The girls loved the left over pumpkins last year!

I approached our grocery produce dept here about getting spoiled produce for my chickens and he said that they weren't allowed to do it anymore because people were actually taking it for human consumption and they (the store) were/would be held liable if somebody became ill from eating it..what a sad world this has become.

 

[hogthehedge]

TSC

Do you mean Tractor Supply Company? We have those here in Texas and in Colorado. I think they are almost nationwide.