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

[Allysha1990]

I watch a show about homesteading called River Cottage Australia. He grows chicken feed for his hens. From what I remember he was growing bok choy, kale, (I think) Sorghum, etc

 

[Aphrael]

This is a great thread! I plan to to create something along the lines of a "food forest" in the chicken yard. There are already lots of mesquite growing (they can be fed the leaves and the "beans can be cooked or ground for them and are super nutritious) and I plan to put in a couple mulberry trees (have one in front already, but want a couple more where the chickens can easily help themselves to fallen fruit). Then I want to plant in several varieties of fruit or nut bearing bushes, vines, canes etc. Raised beds placed all around will have lots of greens and herbs that are good for (and liked by) chickens. And then the remainder or empty lawn will be tilled under and replaced with alfalfa, clover, ryegrass and other chicken friendly lawn substitute plants. With the right plants in a large variety for them to pick and choose and easy access to the bugs attracted by said plants, I think they can do quite well without commercial feeds. Especially considering they also get all scraps from our meals, garden leftovers, and offal from butchering.

 

[Beekissed]

We just started a thread on intentional plantings for free ranging flocks here in the feed and water section you might be interested in. Right now we are discussing pasture/yard improvement of grasses, both seasonal and permanent.

 

[centrarchid]

We just started a thread on intentional plantings for free ranging flocks here in the feed and water section you might be interested in. Right now we are discussing pasture/yard improvement of grasses, both seasonal and permanent.

post link to it

 

[Beekissed]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ur-yard-for-increasing-free-ranging-nutrition

 

[Aphrael]

We just started a thread on intentional plantings for free ranging flocks here in the feed and water section you might be interested in.  Right now we are discussing pasture/yard improvement of grasses, both seasonal and permanent. 

Oooh. Thank you! I hadn't found that one yet. Will definitely be checking it out.

 

[centrarchid]

What is the assumed cause of the interruption in supply of poultry feed? I can envision several scenarios and they differ greatly in how they would impact poultry keeping.

First is a major corn or soybean crop failure due to pestilence would be most like what most of us are assuming so far resulting simply in the crash in the availability in major feedstuff. War where such items are rationed could also be similar.

Other potentially more global issues like a coronal mass ejection (CME), major volcanic eruption or asteroid impact would present a very different set of challenges. The CME would shut down electricity needed for milling and various aspects of actual crop production. Large intensive operations would also have to shut down owing to their high electricity requirements not being met. The latter two would likely even be worse where you would have not only an interruption in feed supply but also a failure of the forages owing to unseasonal frost events and changes in precipitation patterns. This means the free-range backup will be degraded as well.


So what is the scenario envisioned?

 

[Triple Willow]

<B>Self-sensored on 11/25/13 to... "Beep beep be be beeep beep beeeeeeeep X1,000++" (No, there were NO 4-lettered dirty words OR hatefullness in the original post.) </B>


edited by staff

 

[Allysha1990]

I plan on growing some feed for my chickens in the next growing season. So far I have decided on amaranth, quinoa, sunflower seeds, maybe cowpea, mangels and pumpkins

 

[Aphrael]

I plan on growing some feed for my chickens in the next growing season. So far I have decided on amaranth, quinoa, sunflower seeds, maybe cowpea, mangels and pumpkins

The seeds I have so far to plant in my raised chicken garden areas come spring are rainbow swiss chard, basil herb mix, chervil, spinach, giant red mustard, mixed lettuce, anise, amaranth, collards, chicory, borage, parsley, kale, purple top turnips, arugula, dill, sunflower and bok choy. I also have alfalfa, oats, wheat and clover that I hope to grow along with native grasses in place of the "lawn" in their area. I've read that quinoa and cowpeas are supposed to be really good, but I haven't found a good source for them yet.