What do I feed my freerange chickens in the winter?

[patman75]

I read that you can just give them a whole head of cabbage and they will pick at it until it is gone, and it wont go bad in the winter.

 

[fldiver97]

If you want to get bugs for them you can order larger quantities of mealworms, superworms, crickets etc. from reptile supply places (I use Fluker Farms but there are others) You can order 250, 500 or more. You can feed them over several days if you store them in a dry, cool place (escape proof though - for the bugs I mean) It is less expensive than buying small quantities at petsores.....Also, another post mentioned to check with local grocery stores, delis or restaurants for produce...trimmed off or not able to be sold...they may be willing to let you get some if they throw it out anyway. Stocking up on frozen produce and keeping some squash and apples in a cold basement might work to. You can sprout some stuff in a kitchen window too. I am probably going to do ll of the above 'cause I am sure the girls will not find much in the snow here in WI.......

 

[the lemon tree]

Grow wheatgrass! Here's how:

1. Sprout wheat berries. (First soak overnight, then rinse and drain them for the next day or two. Google for a better explanation)

2. In a planting/seed tray, shallow plastic container, or in my case a brownie pan, spread about 1.5-2 inches of compost, soil, vermiculite or some other growing medium. (Drainage holes are nice, but I couldn't find any seed trays anywhere)

3. Gingerly but generously spread the sprouted wheat, completely covering the surface of the dirt.

4. Water thoroughly and cover with newspaper. Place in a dark, cool area for the next two days, or until you see shoots about an inch(ish) tall. Keep moist during this time.

5. Place in indirect sunlight and water daily. After about a week you can start snipping them for the chickens to enjoy!

* People who grow wheatgrass for the juice to consume themselves only let the grass grow through one cycle, that is, when they cut the grass they're done. This is because the second growth doesn't contain as much nutrients and therefore isn't worth using. Personally, I let them grow another cycle since chickens aren't as discerning when it comes to nutrients and it still is valuable greenage, especially during the winter months.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

You could also plant a patch of wheat or Winter Rye for them to graze on
They will grow and survive below freexing temps

 

[Dahlsten]

Thanks so much for the great ideas. Our neighbor has an apple tree that he never sprays so there's never any good apples. I think I'll have to pick some and store them for the winter.

Thanks!

I've read that apple seeds are poisonous to chickens so just remember that...

 

[Debbie292d]

I've read that apple seeds are poisonous to chickens so just remember that...

We have chickens, but have had macaw parrots for two decades and back when I got the first one, did a lot of research on what they could and could not have.

I recall apple seeds have a minuscule amount of cyanide in them, so that we shouldn't feed parrots applesauce as that has ground apple seeds in it.

Would it kill them? Probably not, but it could make them sick, so we don't.

That said, most of us have learned that our chickens don't eat what's poison to them.

Many chickens free-range and have apple trees, like us. It's impossible to expect a person to go out and pick up all of the apples on the ground all season.

If we chop up apples for them, just like for ourselves, we remove the seeds.

 

[nuthatched]

I've read that apple seeds are poisonous to chickens so just remember that...

Context is key.
Depending on the variety of apple, It would 2,000-15,000 seeds to even make a bird sick. So it's not worth removing the seeds or worrying about

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

Saw the original post was from 2009 so was curious to see what was updated

As far as apples, we have a dozen or more apple trees that have more apples than we can process. Whatever apples end up on the ground (that we can't eat), the chickens have full access to during free range.
My mom has had chickens here for decades, and all her birds have been fine.
So it might depend on the bird, but most chickens -should- be fine.

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

I recall apple seeds have a minuscule amount of arsenic in them, so that we shouldn't feed parrots applesauce as that has ground apple seeds in it.

Curious about what you mean
Applesauce is cooked apples, put into a separator to take out the bulk like skin, stems, and seeds

 

[Debbie292d]

Curious about what you mean
Applesauce is cooked apples, put into a separator to take out the bulk like skin, stems, and seeds

I stand corrected. I looked it up again. It's a minuscule amount of cyanide in the seeds. It doesn't matter as it's minuscule anyway.

Yes, apples are strained, but some remnants of seeds could get into the sauce. Whether that's true or not, I don't need to feed them applesauce anyway. It's messy.