What do you grow to feed the chickens??

[LindaB220]

The only thing invasive that I can see is scorpions that get into the house. I've heard people talk about snakes getting into their house but we haven't experienced that.

You could include dried comfrey in your mix of what you plan to sell. It is really good for the birds and they love it. Of course I haven't tried drying it but cutting it fresh and into strips for each pen at feed time.

You could dig up and send part of a root. That's how I got mine. A very nice lady in Idaho dug some roots up for me in the fall or winter a couple years ago. She packed them in shavings that were very slightly moistened and put them in a priority mail box..."If it fits, it ships." I do need more though.

Yeah, Lacy, an older post I just saw. I bought $46 worth of comfrey roots last year. And killed them all by not planting them correctly. I have to start over this year and believe me, I'll do research on this. It's almost 30% protein. And living in the deep south I can grow and cut up to 10 times during the season. I'll be better prepared this year. It dies back in Nov. so I've got time. Buy the Bocking 4 kind.

 

[lazy gardener]

LG, where are you buying your seed??

I love the idea of cost effective!! THe best variety of seed I have found locally is about 40 minutes away, and going that direction is sporatic. So will look for any wild bird food at the local stores.

Most people would be surprized at how many "food" issues folks have. We have cut grain consumption, and sugar consumption considerably. . . .I'm betting we are at 25%. SO many interesting grains and vegies available now. AND we bake less-- mostly becuase that is where all the sugars and flours live with the fats. A really really bad combination. lol I love the gluten free recipes because they use the unusual grains.

I just looked at my invinsible mint. . . and dont see even one shoot. THe chickens decimated it. It was a 20 year plot. GOod thing my mother has more.

Cant have iced tea without mint!!

I think I bought it last year from Fedco Seeds.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
Thanks.

 

[Darnbunnies]

Too Funny!​

​

BUYER:
Are these pasture and soy free eggs?​

ME:

Please reply with your definition of, "Pasture."​

BUYER:
Pasture raised meaning they roam all day long in free range area and get their food from the earth and they are not fed soy grain s ect. I buy a lot of eggs weekly looking to find a new person that's local.

ME:
"food from the earth"? Where else would their food come from? We don't offer any Outer Space feed.
The girls are not caged, have a large run and access to their hen house where the nests are located.
They are pure breeds so too valuable to allow to roam the neighborhood and risk being picked up by hawks, coyotes and other predators.
I'll check the Soy content on the feed they are offered.
BTW, the eggs are fertile.

 

[Arielle]

Toooooo FUnny. ROFL

 

[HerbGir1972]

Right now were picking dandelions out of the lawn, and clover.

 

[chickadoodles]

Since my wheat has died I planted some sunflower seeds and a mixture of seeds I just threw out of the scratch bag for the birds. I had to let them clean out the rest of the wheat before I planted anything else. I am hoping with some rain I will get some growth before the wild birds and squirrels eat all the seeds.

 

[jacksson515]

Arielle, Moringa will grow in your area, but the fall/winter frosts will kill them when young. Reportedly, after two-three years, the more mature trees can survive the frosts, but probably not a deep freeze. I live in a mountainous Zone 9 area and I believe in chopping the moringa down to about three inches before the frost comes, mulching them and putting row cover on top. The trees can be treated as an annual and planted every year; they grow so fast when the sun comes out, you can harvest the leaves about three times during the summer by chopping them off to about three feet when they grow up to about 6-8 feet; then harvest the leaves for powder. Alternately, you can pot the plants and move them inside (greenhouse or house) for the winter months (carefully watching for early and late frost conditions).

 

[srampacek]

Mine love basically everything! I don't really feed them herbs but I know I feed them throughout the summer any vegetables/fruit that is over-ripened. They especially love tomatos, corn (not so much the cobs though), cucumbers, zucchini, squash, apples, etc.. Then, at the end of the season when the garden is finished, we pull the plants out and put all the leaves and everything in the chicken coop and let them pick until we can tell that they left all the scraps that they don't want then we compost the rest. Also, they love the clover weeds that grow near the coop so we pick them and they go crazy for them!

 

[Arielle]

Arielle, Moringa will grow in your area, but the fall/winter frosts will kill them when young. Reportedly, after two-three years, the more mature trees can survive the frosts, but probably not a deep freeze. I live in a mountainous Zone 9 area and I believe in chopping the moringa down to about three inches before the frost comes, mulching them and putting row cover on top. The trees can be treated as an annual and planted every year; they grow so fast when the sun comes out, you can harvest the leaves about three times during the summer by chopping them off to about three feet when they grow up to about 6-8 feet; then harvest the leaves for powder. Alternately, you can pot the plants and move them inside (greenhouse or house) for the winter months (carefully watching for early and late frost conditions).

Interesting plant!!!!