what to grow for feed

[branston]

We grow arragula which they go crazy for and spinach. We also throw out some of tomatoes to the chickens

 

[Den in Penn]

I grow wheat and rye for cover crops in my garden. Until I got my chickens I used it for either a green manure or left it grow till it was about to pollinate and cutting in for a mulch. I left enough finish for the fall seeding and milling for whole wheat and rye four. Cutting and thrashing that amount by hand did take some effort. Tried various small power garden equipment to thrash, even tried a lawn mower that was fun. The best thing I found was a barrel leaf shredder that uses lawn trimmer string, breaks a lot of the grains but it worked. When I did the grains last year threw some of the grain heads in to the chickens you know what? They had a ball eating them that way. So I saved a trash barrel for them just that way. I used it like that as scratch. Still looking for a way to do a Little plot that doesn't break the gran, short of using an old flail.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I grow wheat and rye for cover crops in my garden. Until I got my chickens I used it for either a green manure or left it grow till it was about to pollinate and cutting in for a mulch. I left enough finish for the fall seeding and milling for whole wheat and rye four. Cutting and thrashing that amount by hand did take some effort. Tried various small power garden equipment to thrash, even tried a lawn mower that was fun. The best thing I found was a barrel leaf shredder that uses lawn trimmer string, breaks a lot of the grains but it worked. When I did the grains last year threw some of the grain heads in to the chickens you know what? They had a ball eating them that way. So I saved a trash barrel for them just that way. I used it like that as scratch. Still looking for a way to do a Little plot that doesn't break the gran, short of using an old flail.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2011/04/23/qa-making-jelly-and-growing-wheat/
Here is one way.

 

[UglyYellow]

100% yes to clover! We took out all the sod and put down clover for our entire yard. They chickens go nuts....plus it is super good for your soil!

 

[Den in Penn]

Stomping the grain on pavement is what I do mostly for the grain to mill. But I was trying to find a modern small scale way using a power tool or machine.
A flail would be better than a baseball bat you don't have to bend as much. Simple enough to make one.
I didn't use mower to thresh the grain in the field. I cut it with the sickle sheaved and shocked it, You have to use a sickle, unless your scythe has a cradle, mine doesn't. (Does anyone know the difference between a shock and a sheaf any more?) When I had the plywood set up tho catch the grain in the barn on the threshing floor. Pennsylvania bank barns have a threshing floor. I carted the sheaves to the barn and ran the mower. Didn't work very well. Tried a string trimmer with a tub that threw the grains all over and I got tired of holding it in place.
For winnowing I used to pour it from tote to tote in the wind, but the wind is unreliable. Went through the box fan phase. Finally made a step separator hooked to a vacuum cleaner.
By the by 50 by 10 is about one 15th of my truck patch. Not that I put it all in a cover crop at one time but what I do is still a largeish part of it.

Typo on size of truck patch

 

[ajlynco]

I grow BOSS (Black Oil Sunflower seeds) every year for my birds but I DON'T grow it in the run. For seed I just plant some of the BOSS seeds I buy for them to eat. I grow 3 rows that are about 30' long. The plants are spaced 6 - 8 inches apart in the rows. As soon as seeds start developing I cut 3 or 4 seed heads per day to feed to my 30+ birds. I leave about 2' of stock attached to the seed head. They eat the leaves too. Don't worry if there are still flower petals on them. The birds love the flower petals too. The only problem that I have run into is that near the end of the season the wild birds start eating a lot of the seeds from the plants that have not been harvested.

Another thing that I "grow" for them is common garden weeds. I have a very large garden, more than 1/3 acre. Any weeds that I hand pull go into the run and the birds eat them up. I try to give them a large wheelbarrow load every day or two. It helps cut down on the feed bill a little. And the eggs taste better when they are eating the weeds.

Felidaet, Can you tell me a little more about growing BOSS. I'm interested in growing sunflowers in my small side yard. How much sun do they need, how tall do they get, can I plant them in a planter that's against a fence? Any info would be appreciated.