Growing and make-do chicken feed

[Deleted]

I have read of specific plants to grow and store for chickens' food but as I start to think of next year's gardens I can't think of any. I tried a search here but either got to many or too few results. I don't want to go over to "the other forum" where I read on this topic. Someone here recently wrote about not agreeing that any non-commercial feed should be just a sometimes "treat" so I know others are thinking this too. I'm not planning to rely just on food scraps and my compost pile being in the run but I would appreciate advice on non-commercial ways to keep the 10-20 girls (and Hancock) fed. As one of my favorite pre-schoolers says when asked for the magic word: "pleaseandthankyou."

[Deleted]

Cooked beans and rice.
Comfrey

The bean and rice was being gifted a y2k hoard when we were desperate one winter.

It was -20 to-45
Warm soupy bean rice with odd unlabed surprises from the gifted buckets.

I noticed eggs were laid in the dead of winter and the amount of water they drank was really reduced.

Some of the surprised were TeX soy protein, diced veggies, dried corn and shredded and diced potatoes.
Most of the buckets were rice and beans.

Pumpkins will be picked up from store Nov 1

[bergere]

WR posted this awhile back.

Recipe list:
www.fertrell.com/ration_recipes.html

Layers specifically:
www.fertrell.com/poultryration.htm

What I have done....

You just have to make sure they get some meat protein in the winter when they can't forage for bugs. Either a dry meat based cat or fish food does well.
Other wise they will start eating their own feathers.

This is for massive batches, I made mine about 20lbs total  at a time.  But it will give you some idea.

This is for 2,700+ pounds of feed
All Organic, cracked corn 535lbs, rough chop~Field peas 400lbs, Oats 300lbs, can toss in whole ~wheat 300lbs, Millet 300lbs, Alfalfa meal 200lbs, ORM certified Fish meal at 63% 400lbs, Stabilized Flax 200lbs, Poultry Nutri Balancer 60lbs, Aragonite 12lbs.

In weekly batches, I mixed in just enough vegetable oil in the feed to keep the waste down to a min. I don't want to do more than that during the hot summer months because I don't want it to go rancid because of the oil or flax seed.

For crops Millet is pretty easy to grow, Black Oil sunflower seeds, if you are in the south, Peanuts can add protein and so on.

[Skandi]

I tried my chickens on alfalfa, they won't touch it, it was pellets that were soaked with all the other ingredients at the time (barley ,black oats, potatos and pumpkin) every meal it was left in the bottom of the bowl, they ducks wouldn't touch it either, they left the black oats untill they were starving as well. I found when trying it that it was impossible to get the protien up, cat food will work I'm sure but it puts the price higher than buying feed (for me anyway)
I mean none of my birds dropped dead and I still got eggs, but on paper at least it didn't work. I have noticed that this brood of ducklings fed on organic pig fattener and barley have grown probably 1/3 faster than the last ones, but it is also earlier in the year, so they have not had to contend with cold either.

I have swapped all my birds over to the pig food, it's designed for pigs (and ducks) from 20kg to 100kg you mix it 1/4 with grain I use barley, I buy the grain localy and this combination reduced the price from 4.6DKK a kg (6.6 if I want organic) to 1.7DKK a kg so less than half price and I get to avoid feeding GMO soya. I'vbe not seen any issues with egg shells being thin, they do have unlimited oystershell right now, and have been freeranging as well, so who knows how much they supliment!

[bergere]

Mine love dehydrated Alfalfa leaves (no stems), they gobble every thing up I put out for them. Can buy them in Bulk.
Mine do not like the soaked Alfalfa pellets either. They will some times eat the moist Chaff Hay bagged Alfalfa.

Depending on where one is, is easy enough to grow some Alfalfa.  They will eat clover, dandelion and so on.

Had no idea there was Black oats. I just use normal every day human white oats, big hens will eat them whole, for the bantams they have to be rolled to cracked.They will eat the white oats.

Mine are picky about which wheat they will eat.

[Skandi]

Black oats are very high in protien around 18% they're normaly given to horses here.

[Deleted]

In the summer fish guts and heads and the rest of the fish.

Also hand a bag of the fish waste over a compost pile from as t post.

Worm and maggats make a auto chicken feeder and the chickens aid the stir and adding to the compost.

I have canned fish heads for animal use.

Tattlers lids make it free food almost.

I can get tons of fish wasted delivered free here and I do.

I mark off the drop zone.
Provide shovels
Grass, peat and firewood debre

The warning I give to others is to make this drop site chicken proof it keeps the wildlife busy there  and away from my small compost pile chicks feeders
 

[grannyg]

I throw out sunflower seeds for the birds and many sprouts pop up....I pick them and my chickens love them....

[bergere]

Mine love it when I pick wild Sorrel for them, they eat it so fast I won't if they even swallow it.