Successful 100% forage diet experiment (long post)

[LapisLazuli]

@AccidentalFarm
You should write an article about this!

 

[ChickForLife]

@AccidentalFarm
You should write an article about this!

Ooh, good idea, I agree!

 

[aart]

@AccidentalFarm
You should write an article about this!

That would be good....after a full year or two.

 

[Tashua]

I live in central Texas, so all of this has been going on during very hot weather. It has started to cool down a bit off and on since last month. We've seen freezing weather at night several times so far. The birds still just roost wherever. They show no inclination to seek out shelter.

This considered foraging

 

[AccidentalFarm]

That would be good....after a full year or two.

I agree. Time will tell if this is sustainable, and article worthy, or not.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

Another factor to consider is that adding a non native “wild” animal to your environment will likely push out some native breeds. We have turkeys, grouse, quail and chukar out here, and having 100% wild raised chickens could diminish or evict some of those natural birds. It’s all very case dependent, but we are hunters and like having those species around

Very good point and an excellent argument for controlling the size of the flock. Thanks for bringing it up. I hadn't really considered this, but I should, and I will.

 

[aart]

I agree. Time will tell if this is sustainable, and article worthy, or not.

Oh, I definitely think it's article worthy, but would be a better article with a longer history to report on.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I'm fascinated with this post, I would like to see if it would be possible to scale it down to a smaller homestead. We have 1 rooster and 21 hens and they live on about a 1/4 acre section of our backyard in Florida.

My idea is to grow as much forage as possible for them in this small area.

So far, I have a lot of:

1. Mexican Sunflower which self propagates when the branches touch the ground (it is a perennial that is high in protein), our chickens love it Chickens eating Mexican sunflower leaves

2. Bananas which multiply in clumps without my effort (chickens eat the leaves and the fruit)
Here is one of our hens eating banana leaves

3. Moringa trees which are highly nutritious and grow abundantly

4. Cranberry hibiscus which is another perennial and has highly nutritious leaves

5. Arugula which self seeds easily

6. Tons of woodchips which the chickens scratch through to get bugs and worms

Any other suggestions of perennials I could grow for the chickens?

I’m in zone 8b up near the border. You’re probably warmer than me so you likely have more options.

Pears always seem to grow well in 8b and 9a. I don’t know how they do well below that.

Oaks do well by my chickens. Mine love acorns in the fall and the leaf litter gives them something to scratch for invertebrates in.

How about Japanese persimmons? They’re heavy fall and winter fruiters and do well in Florida.

Mine have access to blueberries. But that’s 15 acres of blueberries. I’m not sure if you would have enough chill hours for blueberries.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Yeah somehow everything has become backwards but that is a whole other thread, maybe even forum altogether!!

You should have seen the consternation from the “Unpopular Opinions” thread where I talked about free ranging, letting the chickens outmaneuver predators, and whatnot. People rent their shirts and cried blasphemy like imps dowsed with holy water.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Very good point and an excellent argument for controlling the size of the flock. Thanks for bringing it up. I hadn't really considered this, but I should, and I will.

You’re welcome! I’m definitely all for big flocks, and please know I wasn’t trying to dissuade or lecture you. I don’t think game birds would die or anything, just move elsewhere... I was thinking about winter here and thinking, “well, if quail and grouse and the like can survive a winter and find food when there’s a lot of snow, a chicken would likely also!” And then I thought, “oh crap, wild chickens are definitely bigger than both of those birds and might bully them out of feeding grounds”.

I’m sure theyd move up onto National Forest or over to a neighbors property(we all have 20 acre lots that back up to NF), but since we like to hunt the game birds, it’s cool to have them on our property! Just something I was thinking