Making your winter feed now: silage

[CherMoz]

One of the links for the Mother Earth News articles that is a good reference point: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADQ897.pdf

 

[WayneThopy]

The crops I would plant for a strict haylage crop would be Kentucky Bluegrass or Timothy, Then for the legumes I would plant Korean Lespedeza, Red or Alsike Clover and/or alfalfa.

 

[WayneThopy]

I put up some grass clipping haylage and the hens pecked at it. They ate it in about an hour and seem to like it. I opened the bag yesterday and this is the first batch and this was the first feeding.

 

[CherMoz]

Sounds like it went over well. Our chipper is not working, so we did not get any silage made this summer/fall. I am bummed.

 

[WayneThopy]

You can use a lawn mower and mow the really green grass. Just make sure it has a grass catcher on it. This is so you do not lose moisture.

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

Me for sure! I was thinking of sowing small areas of some other stuff besides grass to add to it. Any ideas?

White clover is by far the best forage crop for chickens. It is very high in protein and doesn't contain the toxins that can develop in other clovers. It is short and easily mowed/collected for silage and hay (I make both for my girls) and can be mowed several times in a summer without causing it any harm. An added side advantage it that our bees love it as well when it flowers.

 

[WayneThopy]

I personally just mow my yard which has lots of white and red clover. I don't spray the yard, but I do spray the garden and spot spray so I don't have to trim the yard. Just don't use the treated grass for silage.

 

[RonP]

I have friends that bag their lawn clippings.

I take them and make silage.

I feed the silage during the winter months, they seem to like it, but then again, there is little else available except their pellets...

 

[WayneThopy]

I feed cracked corn, Blue Seal Extra egg 16% layer pellets and oyster shells. I then feed on top of that grass and clover mix haylage which I just started feeding due to the lack of damaged tomatoes which I have left from my truck patch. I feed nothing but the best feedstuffs money will buy. This is with 26 hens.

 

[CherMoz]

I found a very interesting article on PubMed about feeding silage:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17701499