What do you grow to feed the chickens??

[flgardengirl]

I have planted a few different amaranthus that has edible leaves (Tigerleaf is a variegated pretty leafy vegetable) One is a grain as well as a vegetable. I also planted a Moringa tree. All parts are supposed to be edible. Our chickens would probably eat most everything in the garden if they could. We have a large pineapple sage that got bushy over the winter and the chickens just discovered it and now it is bare as far as they can reach-they really love pineapple sage. I hope the turkeys don't find it lol.
I also planted the tea hibiscus that you make tea from the calyxes (flower buds). The chooks all love to eat those all summer and fall. Malabar spinach is good for warmer climates and pretty easy to grow.

Good source of edible seeds! http://www.echobooks.org/SearchResults.asp?Cat=31

 

[Courts Clucks]

I had my husband plant the clover heavy in the pasture around the house so that the garden and my flowers have a chance this year. My ladies get everything from kale, lettuce, tomatoes to watermelon and herbs. They may be spoiled but that is the norm on my farm.

 

[Arielle]

rachlore-- tomatos!!! Everyone loves tomatos!!!

flgarden--hope the turkeys don't find the pineapple sage either!! It will be stripped bare! Will check out the source.

CC kale is yummy, What kids of lettuce are you growing??



I"m looking for bulk seed catalogs at this point. Might just bite the bullet and order 100 pounds of a custom mix. OTherwise I am searching for bulk sizes on beets, turnips and such.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Basically, my chickens eat whatever we grow/cook for ourselves LOL! I did plant some lettuce leaf last year for them. They absolutely love my heirloom squashes, they prefer it cooked though. Tomatoes, they just help themselves to those (cocky little things!). They don't bother my pepper plants other than digging up the roots because the soil is perfect for dusting.

 

[Kikiriki]

Information to consider:

Amaranth is a relative of pigweed, as is quinoa. A site said they may contain excessive levels of nitrates, but I recall that all those plants, as well as parsley and carambola (star fruit), and moringa tree leaves, contain high levels of phytic acid, which is referred to as an "anti-nutrient".

Phytic acid binds with nutrients, including calcium. If it binds in the gut, it forms mineral salts that are sharp edged enough to cause problems in the intestines, and if it binds in the kidneys, especially with calcium, it forms kidney stones. People who are prone to kidney stones seem to have more problems with this.

However, what is harder to find as you research is that phytic acid also binds with toxins, helping move them out of the body, which can decrease problems for long term health. Foods that contain it are associated with reduced cancer rates and reduced major organ problems.

It is a balance and only you can decide if it is something you are willing to do. Interesting is that all these plants are very high in nutrients, so loosing some nutrients still leaves plenty to be utilized. With Moringa, i saw a study where the chickens did fine using dried leaves as up to 10% of the feed. After that, the chickens started loosing some small amount of weight, laying slightly less, and eating more.

Fermentation reduces the effect of the phytic acid more than does blanching according to another study.

Notably, oats also have high phytic acid which according to yet another study is unaffected by fermentation...

Also, nitrates are a problem in even ordinary benign plants during drought conditions according to an agricultural report.

My chickens main food is raw rolled oats and they are all healthy, lay perfect hard shelled eggs six days a week or more, and have never been sick. They are slim, but I see that as a bonus to prevent weight related problems with laying, organ damage, as well as heat tolerance issues.

I had hopi red dye amaranth in my garden last year and the chickens did not eat the leaves: Showed no interest in them.

I had to fight to keep them away from the tomatoes, though... Those leaves also contain phytic acid.

The last thing to consider is that a lot of chicken feed studies are focused on biggest short term gains at the least expense to commercial producers of meat and/or eggs. These birds have short lives, unlike many of our chickens which are kept for their natural livespans.

 

[Kikiriki]

Moringa root bark contains a neurotoxin that can be deadly. If you use the root, you should use extreme caution in handling it, and peel every bit of the rootbark off, and dispose of it safely.

This is according to the folks at Ilovemoriga.com

 

[Arielle]

Basically, my chickens eat whatever we grow/cook for ourselves LOL! I did plant some lettuce leaf last year for them. They absolutely love my heirloom squashes, they prefer it cooked though. Tomatoes, they just help themselves to those (cocky little things!). They don't bother my pepper plants other than digging up the roots because the soil is perfect for dusting.

NOthing like nice loose soil to dust bathe!!

Do they eat the non-fruit portions of the tomatoes? That is the poisonous part-- maybe they know? Maybe the same reason they don't touch the peppers?

 

[Arielle]

Information to consider:

Amaranth is a relative of pigweed, as is quinoa. A site said they may contain excessive levels of nitrates, but I recall that all those plants, as well as parsley and carambola (star fruit), and moringa tree leaves, contain high levels of phytic acid, which is referred to as an "anti-nutrient".

Phytic acid binds with nutrients, including calcium. If it binds in the gut, it forms mineral salts that are sharp edged enough to cause problems in the intestines, and if it binds in the kidneys, especially with calcium, it forms kidney stones. People who are prone to kidney stones seem to have more problems with this.

However, what is harder to find as you research is that phytic acid also binds with toxins, helping move them out of the body, which can decrease problems for long term health. Foods that contain it are associated with reduced cancer rates and reduced major organ problems.

It is a balance and only you can decide if it is something you are willing to do. Interesting is that all these plants are very high in nutrients, so loosing some nutrients still leaves plenty to be utilized. With Moringa, i saw a study where the chickens did fine using dried leaves as up to 10% of the feed. After that, the chickens started loosing some small amount of weight, laying slightly less, and eating more.

Fermentation reduces the effect of the phytic acid more than does blanching according to another study.

Notably, oats also have high phytic acid which according to yet another study is unaffected by fermentation...

Also, nitrates are a problem in even ordinary benign plants during drought conditions according to an agricultural report.

My chickens main food is raw rolled oats and they are all healthy, lay perfect hard shelled eggs six days a week or more, and have never been sick. They are slim, but I see that as a bonus to prevent weight related problems with laying, organ damage, as well as heat tolerance issues.

I had hopi red dye amaranth in my garden last year and the chickens did not eat the leaves: Showed no interest in them.

I had to fight to keep them away from the tomatoes, though... Those leaves also contain phytic acid.

The last thing to consider is that a lot of chicken feed studies are focused on biggest short term gains at the least expense to commercial producers of meat and/or eggs. These birds have short lives, unlike many of our chickens which are kept for their natural livespans.

GReat information.. I have come to the conclusion that we are supposed to eat a variey of foods, not just one. COmmercial feeds feed just 2-5 ingredients for the life of the animal. IT works, not criticizing. However as I was looking for a better diet for myself and my family I realized that if I could plant a number of crops for the birds I could increase their nutrition options too.

Most foods are not a perfect food, so variety is key. And yes nitrates are often a problem in drought years. Thank you for the reminder--I had forgotten. I was looking at the run off from the hill this week then talked with the kids about how big a "farm Pond" to dig and why.

I see some information on fermentation, mostly based on a yeast or a vinegar starter. Perhaps that would work, IDK?

Thanks for the great info. Very interesting.

 

[Arielle]

Moringa root bark contains a neurotoxin that can be deadly. If you use the root, you should use extreme caution in handling it, and peel every bit of the rootbark off, and dispose of it safely.

This is according to the folks at Ilovemoriga.com

Moringa is new to me. Will look to see if it will grow in my area-- perhaps other root vegies are easier to work with for a beginner.

 

[Kikiriki]

Moringa root bark contains a neurotoxin that can be deadly. If you use the root, you should use extreme caution in handling it, and peel every bit of the rootbark off, and dispose of it safely.


This is according to the folks at Ilovemoriga.com

Moringa is new to me. Will look to see if it will grow in my area-- perhaps other root vegies are easier to work with for a beginner.

It is tropical, but it grows fast enough to start harvesting after 3 months. If you plant a bunch of them like an annual crop (start seeds indoors in warmth) you can use them. You can grow them as an indoor potted tree by cutting off the top, but it needs full light... I would try to keep one tree growing indoors. It gets seeds after eight months. Which would provide your "annual crop" seeds.