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

[Allysha1990]

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.

This is where I plan on getting mine from http://www.heritageharvestseed.com/
I want to eventually have much more, but little bit at a time

 

[Triple Willow]

And when things get really down and dirty, they have more meat on them than a smaller breed.  That's why I always keep a bigger dog...never know when you are going to have to eat them and the bigger the better. 

I hope Jake didn't hear that! LOL

 

[Katt66]

nvm

 

[Beekissed]

I hope Jake didn't hear that! LOL

Jake knows exactly how things go here....and he is expected to utilize our bodies in just such a manner if we are to fall dead in his territory. Everyone and everything is food for someone else on this planet and we don't make much distinction about that.

He'd keep the buzzards off our bodies until the meat got gamey enough and he was hungry enough from not being fed, then he'd commence to eat us. And if anyone out there doesn't think their own animals won't eat their dead bodies when the chips are down, they might as well think again. Pets won't stay domesticated when hunger strikes,not if they want to survive.

 

[centrarchid]

Accounts may need to be mined for pre-industrialization techniques for small diversified farm management. Many of the standard methods of those times are being ruled out and should not be. An end of world scenario need not be invoked to cause lapse in available feeds. End of world is more extreme than we should be considering here.

 

[Roxannemc]

I agree ...... In the olden days the ppl didn't buy them feed EVER. and probably kept a couple hens and a roo in spring to make more chicks that were slowly eaten as the grew towards fall so not a huge ton of chickens around all year to have to find grain I bet..... just a few .
They fed the horses in winter and they probably ate what fell out and then they foraged outside winter too. and foraged in the hay on the floor of the barn for seeds and grass ..as a lot of what cows and horses did and do eat is just old field grass not real straw type hay .

Im sure of that as my neighbors harvest my grass on my field each year for their cows and its just old wild grass I dont do a thing to ..
So think they wandered around where the large animals ate AND if it was dirt floor might have come up with bugs too. in there even winter and always spiders and other bugs around . to eat. and dont forget....mice! they are very resourceful .

Summer just left over ppl food after dinner and free ranging for the rest.no feed at all..
Chickens can survive on grass bugs etc outside if birds can
They ARE birds!!.

Is nice to think we have our own grocery store for a couple things in our yard in case...anything.!!CHICKENS At least we can eat something..

 

[Roxannemc]

HAHA and the monkey pooed coffee beans are considered rare DELICACYS to make coffee with!...(think ill pass. )

 

[Roxannemc]

!2 weeks cull to eat? what would you get out of a 12 week old chick? they are pigeon size! NOT MUCH for a family.

 

[Roxannemc]

We forget.......dog food...until probably the 1930s dogs DID survive on table scraps and foraged.
There was no" dog food"
My grandmother even in 1950 gave her dog bought food... . raw .horse meat! and was some by then canned K-L Ration

Over 3/4 of all the ppl were farmers before the Great Depression and so in the country they were other things dogs caught themselves rabbit possum and such and plus inners fro m chicken cows and whatever else the farmers gutted. Im sure few were really heavy like today more thin or skinny dogs.

 

[RangingChicks]

Has anyone thought about fodder?