The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[RedRidge]

Now I am in now way an expert, but was looking into ways to cut my feed costs and discovered Planting your scratch feed in your free range area. An old farmer told me to section off an area at a time and throw your scratch feed out along with melon, pumpkin, bean and various other seeds. I am not talking about corn scratch, but rather 5way or 10 or better yet 12 way scratch. There are some companies that do treat their seed/feed with something that does not allow them to sprout, but others, smaller companies I think, that do not. I have an area that is full of seed, bean, sunflowers, millet and lots of other sprouting food for the girls. As soon as It develops more, I will let them in that area and plant another. I have spread it into three areas so hopefully I can get a cycle rolling. In the winter I will get trays and sprout in my little shed barn. I have removed the plywood roof and put clear plastic cover so I can use the sun in the winter to sprout trays, which will go fast, Im sure, but it will be something. Just a thought and I am excited at the prospect. I am just one broke chicken girl who cannot even imagine paying that kind of money for feed that is natural. Of course, this is not a GMO free idea or Organic, rather just an idea that will look for me. Hopefully

A word of caution... there are certain grains that have a "dangerous time" to consume them. Millet is one of those grains. That's one reason I don't feed millet, I don't want it sprouting in my compost pile, etc.
I know very little about this, but wanted to caution folks to check out the proper "eating times"
I have friends who graze millet and are very cautious about when "not" to permit the animals on it.
I just recommend researching your grains first...

 

[aoxa]

A word of caution... there are certain grains that have a "dangerous time" to consume them. Millet is one of those grains. That's one reason I don't feed millet, I don't want it sprouting in my compost pile, etc.
I know very little about this, but wanted to caution folks to check out the proper "eating times"
I have friends who graze millet and are very cautious about when "not" to permit the animals on it.
I just recommend researching your grains first...

Where did you hear that about millet? Can you back that up?

I can't find anything about that via Google.

 

[RedRidge]

just something "old farmers" always watch out for...potential alkaloid and/or nitrate buildup... especially in a drought situation as much of the country has experienced over the last few years...

just have to be careful...

I googled millet poisoning... here is the first hit...

http://www.noble.org/ag/pasture/horse-forage/poisonous-plant-considerations/

 

[Clackclack]

If you read the google hit carefully, the nitrate buildup in on fertilized fields and presumably relatively mature plants. I wouldn't think that on (presumably organically) sprouted seeds either alkaloids or nitrates are any issue.

 

[RedRidge]

If you read the google hit carefully, the nitrate buildup in on fertilized fields and presumably relatively mature plants. I wouldn't think that on (presumably organically) sprouted seeds either alkaloids or nitrates are any issue.

I agree... however... it can (and has) happened on organic fields during extreme drought conditions... this is "my" reason for the precaution. I have a good friend who was certified organic and had high losses for this very reason... thus I was sharing "my" concerns...
This is also much more likely to be a problem with ruminants... however, I felt compelled to share my concerns regardless. Being cautious never hurts, nor does expanding one's knowledge base (for current or future reference)

http://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/articles/Forage/Summer/Caution.htm
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/drought/tips_nitrate.html

 

[aoxa]

If you read the google hit carefully, the nitrate buildup in on fertilized fields and presumably relatively mature plants. I wouldn't think that on (presumably organically) sprouted seeds either alkaloids or nitrates are any issue.

A lot of plants are toxic. Chickens seem pretty smart about these things and avoid them like the plague. I have bought millet on the stem meant for caged birds and they had no interest.

http://www.ahdf.org/pdf/ToxicPlants.pdf
Bleeding hearts are apparently really dangerous to everyone who consumes them, yet I bet many of us here have them. I know I do.

Not trying to argue or anything..There are so many things in my flock's environment that could potentially harm them that grows organically.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I agree... however... it can (and has) happened on organic fields during extreme drought conditions... this is "my" reason for the precaution. I have a good friend who was certified organic and had high losses for this very reason... thus I was sharing "my" concerns...
This is also much more likely to be a problem with ruminants... however, I felt compelled to share my concerns regardless. Being cautious never hurts, nor does expanding one's knowledge base (for current or future reference)

http://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/articles/Forage/Summer/Caution.htm
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/drought/tips_nitrate.html

I'm glad you shared those! I LOVE reading about these things and learning and it's good to get some sources.

I am looking at either sheep/goats/cattle for meat this spring and actually just came in from talking with a fellow about doing some hay cutting and what to plant on the back part of the pasture so this is all good info for me.

 

[Mumsy]

Where did you hear that about millet? Can you back that up?

I can't find anything about that via Google.

x 2


I have added wild bird seed to my chick starter and all flock fermented feeds for six months now. . Every brand I've used contained millet of one or two forms. I've never lost a bird nor had problems of any kind do to feed. I do not research every single thing my free range birds might nibble on or consume. My property is packed with various plants. Some toxic, some not. I don't lose sleep over it. Chickens will learn or not. Those that don't learn, won't live. I won't reproduce their slow learning ways into my flock.

 

[aoxa]

I'm glad you shared those! I LOVE reading about these things and learning and it's good to get some sources.

I am looking at either sheep/goats/cattle for meat this spring and actually just came in from talking with a fellow about doing some hay cutting and what to plant on the back part of the pasture so this is all good info for me.

Seems all the research is for cows and horses.

What about for chickens though?

 

[stonykill]

A lot of plants are toxic. Chickens seem pretty smart about these things and avoid them like the plague. I have bought millet on the stem meant for caged birds and they had no interest.

http://www.ahdf.org/pdf/ToxicPlants.pdf
Bleeding hearts are apparently really dangerous to everyone who consumes them, yet I bet many of us here have them. I know I do.

Not trying to argue or anything..There are so many things in my flock's environment that could potentially harm them that grows organically.

the chickens here don't touch the bleeding hearts. And there are a lot of them. Birds and animals tend to be smarter than people in what to eat and what not to eat