Topic of the Week - "Off-grid" Feeding - Homemade feeds, etc.

[HenOnAJuneBug]

That depends entirely on the manufacturer of the feed. Not all manufacturers use animal protein.

Do you perchance have a list of those manufacturers?

 

[lomine]

I want to grow more food this year, too. I moved last summer so didn't get a chance to plant anything, except fruit trees. I don't have a green thumb so I hope to try some new methods that are supposed to be less work (after set-up). The hope is to try hugelkultur and combine aquaponis with a duck pond. Aquaponics is supposed to be a great way to grow tomatoes. It's also a method that can be done inside for those with little outdoor space or short growing seasons. I think it's popular among some preppers because you can also raise fish for eating.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I want to grow more food this year, too. I moved last summer so didn't get a chance to plant anything, except fruit trees. I don't have a green thumb so I hope to try some new methods that are supposed to be less work (after set-up). The hope is to try hugelkultur and combine aquaponis with a duck pond. Aquaponics is supposed to be a great way to grow tomatoes. It's also a method that can be done inside for those with little outdoor space or short growing seasons. I think it's popular among some preppers because you can also raise fish for eating.

You can do so much with fish water, you really must research it to fully understand how NO4, NO3 breaks down via biological processes. You can grow desireable algaes or duckweeds to feed your flock from those as well.

Not to mention the particulate manuer you could extract from a water fowl pond.

edit---I will admit to being a filtration geek, I think I have been all of my life. But wow once your research it...it reminds you of just how circular lifes processes are.

 

[lomine]

You can do so much with fish water, you really must research it to fully understand how NO4, NO3 breaks down via biological processes. You can grow desireable algaes or duckweeds to feed your flock from those as well.

I went to a class on aquaponics. You can do pretty much any plant except root plants (i.e. potatoes, carrots, etc). My hope is to replace the fish in the aquaponics system with ducks. Duck poop water is also fantastic for plants. The trees and bushes at my old house thrived on it.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I went to a class on aquaponics. You can do pretty much any plant except root plants (i.e. potatoes, carrots, etc). My hope is to replace the fish in the aquaponics system with ducks. Duck poop water is also fantastic for plants. The trees and bushes at my old house thrived on it.

Not to mention you are always adding inputs to the system by actually providing them with feed!

-edit--- if you have the space now I would not be so focused on aquaponics vs using that "wastewater" as fertilizer. But that is just me.

 

[PirateGirl]

They even had Vegan/Organic feed last time I was searching TSC's shelves!

I will have to read the labels on my feed bags at home, but someone recently mentioned that a lot of feed companies do not include animal products anymore because their feed has a longer shelf life without.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I will have to read the labels on my feed bags at home, but someone recently mentioned that a lot of feed companies do not include animal products anymore because their feed has a longer shelf life without.

That may be true. Chicken waste becoming chicken feed was told to me at a chicken plant about 20 years ago.

 

[lazy gardener]

I was thinking about some comfrey, but was concerned about it becoming invasive. Do you have any experience with it?

the Bocking varieties are sterile. However, I've not found my birds to pay any attention to it. I use it as a mulch material for my orchard.

Yeah me too. That's why I bought the root stock (Bock 4, Bock 14) that produces sterile seeds. In retrospect, I wish that I had gotten seed, so that it would become invasive after I noticed how much my chickens like it. So I then did buy some seed and can't wait until it takes over the place. Humans can eat it too.

It is also supposed to be great as an additive to healing salves. Do your birds like to eat it? What variety do you have now?

You can do so much with fish water, you really must research it to fully understand how NO4, NO3 breaks down via biological processes. You can grow desireable algaes or duckweeds to feed your flock from those as well.

Not to mention the particulate manuer you could extract from a water fowl pond.

edit---I will admit to being a filtration geek, I think I have been all of my life. But wow once your research it...it reminds you of just how circular lifes processes are.

Fish water is incredible stuff. I loved to use it, and would always lug those buckets outside (in spite of how heavy they were) instead of dumping them down the toilet.

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

I feel I need a PhD in Biology to understand any of this stuff...not to mention...where do people find the time to make their own feed??? My chickens lived on this for weeks before I adopted them...

 

[Folly's place]

Lets just say that I'm really glad you now have those chickens, and that they are now eating a balanced diet!?!
Mary