Winter Feeding

[NotTheMomma]

Quote:
Thanks! And yup, they got the whole crop of greens, even while still growing in the garden.

 

[sportsterchick]

I am worried about the winter too. I planted a huge bed of lettuce before I got my chickens, and was wondering what I was going to do with all that lettuce.

I have four young pullets that are almost laying age, have had them for about a month. Now they meet me at the door waiting for me to give them the lettuce! If I don't take it first thing, they stand there and cry.

I am thinking of planting some more, but don't know if it will be heat tolerant as of yet. I am in NC so maybe I can plant some kale too, that will last into the winter?

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[tackyrama]

As a follow up to my earlier post I have other homegrown produce they get in the winter months. I have more apples than I can use or give away and they love them. The apple type I have most of is prarie spy which is a very long keeper. Last winter I was still feeding them apples in February. I also give them squash, the peelings, seeds and any leftovers. All this plus the comfrey I mentioned earlier. I can't see or imagine any stress issues from such a natural diet. Also I don't provide artrificial light in the winter months which IS stressful on the hens. They are free range all year from dawn to dusk and I would hate to know what all they eat. It might be a different story for a confined flock but I doubt it.

 

[Monk]

I have to try kale. I'm also trying cabbage as a late crop. I thought it would store better. Has anyone try/tips on storing cabbage?

 

[animal nut]

I extended my garden so that I was able to plant a bunch of different squashes to place in my fruit cellar for the chickens this winter.

 

[Monk]

Quote:
I have Butternut squash, spaghetti squash and pumpkin coming along pretty well, maybe I'll share some with the birds???

 

[IowaFarmWife]

Thank you for all of the good advice. I was thinking of planting some alfalfa to give them over the winter, too? We live in the north central part of the US, and believe me, there is too much snow on the ground for them to get their food "naturally." I have been giving them straight layer feed over the winter, but I'm wondering if I should supplement with some vegetable and/or grass, too.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

The main reason someone would stop feeding layer feed in the winter, is if their hens are not laying eggs. At that point, they don't need the extra calcium all winter long. It's just more for their kidneys to have to excrete, like roosters. That's a good time to go to a non-layer complete chicken feed, for people that want to.

If your chickens are all still laying, by all means, keep feeding them layer feed. Pullets will tend to lay more their first winter, than adults. Some people use lights in the winter and some people let their chickens take a break from laying. We've done it both ways. People feed their chickens in all different ways. Some people don't even feed a layer feed to their hens that are laying. They just feed something like flock raiser and keep plenty of oyster shell available.

The main thing I do in winter, health wise, is try to provide a little of what they are missing when their foraging area is covered in deep snow. I sprout alfalfa and wheat. I also let the wheat grow into grass that they can eat. They love that! They love any type of greens. They also get some mealworms or red worms once in awhile. They love any kind of bugs or worms, basically.

We do give a little scratch before they turn in at night in the winter, too.

 

[fldiver97]

I continue 'regular' layer feed and they eat more of that in the winter. They were laying during the winter as well even though they barely had a month of 30-60 min additional light (mid December-mid January....my coop needed another window in back, will not add light this winter). I gave vegetable scraps, cabbage, homegrown Kale, lettuce and spinach and lots of frozen berries (added to warm oatmeal on the coldest mornings), sunflower seeds, a little cracked corn, leftover soup and squash. Something every day to add to the regular food. This year I will sprout seeds and add that as well. They also had a flock block in the coop, got mealworms every now and again. I will freeze some veggies and mulberries, blackberries and blueberries we grow here. I felt bad that they couldn't eat grass and greens and bugs in the yard for months so I tried to give a variety of supplemental stuff. They loved it