Weeds. ok you knew that.
the pulp and seeds of squash and pumpkins. this seems to be chicken popcorn!
Birdseed- the favorite seems to be the sunflowers. they fight over them!
bashed open nuts- chestnut acorn, etc.
cooked potatoes.
so waht have you done for your chickens lately?
Polyculture
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Grow chicken food?
Winter is coming. green grass and clover and weeds to feed the chickens are getting scarce. I already have a little bed of spinach and arugula growing in the green house; slow in this oh so wet fall but nevertheless, if it has good sized leaves by December I usually get nice salads into January. I don;t restart that project until March or so.
Chicken run thoroughly covered with leaves; more loads of leaves to go in. a foot deep would be perfect.( we try for 18 inches in the front area of the goat pen every fall-keeps them dry and they love it too.) Despite all efforts to maintain mulch, the rain just did us in for about 6 weeks. they LOVE the leaves. inside the house; wood shavings and straw. need one more layer before truly cold weather; aiming for that 12 inches. kitchen garbage ( peelings, lettuce, and apple cores and the like) can go on this mulch for amusement and a little food. Potatoes and sweet potatoes, etc can be cooked and fed.I also feed a little wild bird seed- they love the millet and sunflowers.
thus; instead of buying expensive "chicken cover crop seed" I'm going to start flats-just the old seed flats- with compost as the base- with some of the wild bird seed. I think they will love it. I can start flats inside under lights once it is too cold.Rotating in ( yup just chuck the compost in too) is also adding to what we hope to remove and use next spring as fertilizer for the garden.
We also have a mealworm project going as it's getting too cold to find the earthworms. Jethro, the rooster, is nuts for earthworms- the guineas too!I spent about $2 at petsmart for small mealworms; put them in a box of oatmeal with the top slashed a few times for air; put in a piece of potato or apple for their moisture-add oatmeal as needed.
the family was not happy when they found my little project. oh well.I think I see adults and so I can start feeding the worms to the birds in a few more days.
Next spring we hope to have everyone moved to a chicken tractor. they can till, fertilize and eat bugs right on site. no more hauling stuff. sounds like a plan to me!
Chicken run thoroughly covered with leaves; more loads of leaves to go in. a foot deep would be perfect.( we try for 18 inches in the front area of the goat pen every fall-keeps them dry and they love it too.) Despite all efforts to maintain mulch, the rain just did us in for about 6 weeks. they LOVE the leaves. inside the house; wood shavings and straw. need one more layer before truly cold weather; aiming for that 12 inches. kitchen garbage ( peelings, lettuce, and apple cores and the like) can go on this mulch for amusement and a little food. Potatoes and sweet potatoes, etc can be cooked and fed.I also feed a little wild bird seed- they love the millet and sunflowers.
thus; instead of buying expensive "chicken cover crop seed" I'm going to start flats-just the old seed flats- with compost as the base- with some of the wild bird seed. I think they will love it. I can start flats inside under lights once it is too cold.Rotating in ( yup just chuck the compost in too) is also adding to what we hope to remove and use next spring as fertilizer for the garden.
We also have a mealworm project going as it's getting too cold to find the earthworms. Jethro, the rooster, is nuts for earthworms- the guineas too!I spent about $2 at petsmart for small mealworms; put them in a box of oatmeal with the top slashed a few times for air; put in a piece of potato or apple for their moisture-add oatmeal as needed.
the family was not happy when they found my little project. oh well.I think I see adults and so I can start feeding the worms to the birds in a few more days.
Next spring we hope to have everyone moved to a chicken tractor. they can till, fertilize and eat bugs right on site. no more hauling stuff. sounds like a plan to me!
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