HYPOTHETICAL DISCUSSION: What to feed your chickens when we can't buy chicken feed anymore

[hammytammy]

hey--
ive trying to think of how to do this. have you done it?
as for hay, has anyone come up with a good way to "bale" grasses on a very small scale? like almost hand baled.
im looking for an old newspaper roller, or or old laundry wringer to see if they can be adapted for this Very small scale use.
tx

 

[missnu01]

Really you could just use a scythe or a reaper and hack it down and then rake it up..hard work for sure, but it would do the trick.

 

[ChickenPapaCT]

If there were a hypothetical scenario, I would feed my girls Dandelions. My girls love them and they grow like weeds! I could just plant a small section of my back yard a feed them a few dozen daily. I would also free-range them more than I do now. Currently they stay inside a 20x10 run to stay safe.

Chicken Papa

 

[chickensfinally]

If there were a hypothetical scenario, I would feed my girls Dandelions.   My girls love them and they grow like weeds! 

Chicken Papa

And they grow like "weeds"!!!! Bah dum bum tshhh!! (Punchline drum sounds)

 

[ChickenPapaCT]

LOL! You know me well..

 

[Missa Chickabee]

I'm back here to ask what people who live in north would do for their chickens in the winter....when it's ten or twenty below.....they will not leave the coop (they aren't stupid) and they need calories to stay warm. Summers I would free-range, but winter is a challenge where we live.

 

[centrarchid]

I'm back here to ask what people who live in north would do for their chickens in the winter....when it's ten or twenty below.....they will not leave the coop (they aren't stupid)  and they need calories to stay warm.  Summers I would free-range, but winter is a challenge where we live.

Forego egg production and use whatever whole grains you have, even when diet not balanced. If you have fish or offal from hunting, then feed that to them as well.

 

[carolb5]

I always have grains stored for winter feeding. I can sprout them or ferment them. I also grow potatoes, mangels, sunflowers for the birds.

If your land can't provide for them, you must.

I'm in Montana.

Carol

 

[hammytammy]

I always have grains stored for winter feeding. I can sprout them or ferment them. I also grow potatoes, mangels, sunflowers for the birds.

If your land can't provide for them, you must.

I'm in Montana.

Carol

nice!

 

[hammytammy]

I have big hickory and corn trees.
if i collected some and crushed them well, do you think they'd eat the meats?
id also like to try making mini bales of "hay"--ie tall lawn grass thats been mowed and gathered
or maybe make it into a silage/ balage type thing? mini of course....
tammy