If the SHTF how will you feed your chickens?

[dntd]

In the warm months food will be ok but winter maybe a problem, they would live but barely. I buy 80lb bags of feed and always have a bin filled, I would ration it big time, also drying out greens would help. we have no weeds in most of my yard as we grow mint an that chokes out the weeds,but the mint is fed to our rabbits though chickens don't really like it I bet they would eat it if they were hungry enough. We use a leaf compost pile in thier run and add rabbit litter, this is a great food source as they get bugs and sprouts, I get great soil in return

 

[Wifezilla]

Red clover would dry well.

 

[theegghunter]

We live in the country surrounded by fields, that is a huge plus for us as the chickens free range all around the house. Haven't had much of a problem finding eggs, for the most part, they come back into the barn. Every once in awhile they don't, hence the screen name, the egg hunter!! We walk the fields at harvest and always pick up corn, beans that the combine has left behind. Also, live on 3 and 1/2 acres of nice clover grass. I think something that bothers me, if the worse was to happen, is looting! Somebody to stand guard so that thugs can't get our livestock and crops!!

I forgot, and wanted to add, that I send off for all the "freebies" on the freebie sites! The things that will keep are put away, the things that have a shelf life, I put them back until they are about to run out, and use them in one way or another...sometimes as gifts. But, anyway, I do stock up on things I can around the house. If clothes can't be worn any longer, they are cut up for rags. (tp would likely be a "luxury" if anything were to happen)

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

of course my answer is: get out there and free range because its FREE

also - has everyone seen Harvey Ussery's site http://www.themodernhomestead.us/

and his home feeding project? did anyone else already mention this?? Harvey has been writing about this for a couple years. i love what he's doing with worms

 

[Mackay]

BBH & FREE, a little off subject can I soak oats without whey? I do not have any. I spend a fortune on feed not having pasture. What else would be a good equivalent

You can just use water (preferably unchlorinated) because the lactic acid producing bacteria are everywhere, but the whey speeds up the process. The vinegar will remove the phytates, which inhibit germination, too.

I am fermenting corn for my pigs and the hens LOVE it!

You can also salvage whey off of yogurt, or you can take a couple cups of rice and rinse it well in water and save the water. Add a milk to it and you will be making a probiotic brew. It takes about 14 days. Cover it lightly so gas can escape. It will smell like baking yeast after a while. Scoop off the milk solids that float to the top on day 14 and you have your culture serum.

 

[Mackay]

So Im making a list of things I can do to feed my chickens in the winter from things I have grown myself.

Meal bugs or worms

Kale .... should I hang it and dry it or freeze it? what other garden greens?

Red clover ..... should I hang it and dry it? how about white clover

sunflower heads.

Crickets .... but what do you feed crickets?

road kill, would that include mice that I catch in traps? they say mice carry that deadly disease in their dropings around here...forgot what it is called.

table scraps .... but I think I prefer to use these in by Bokoshi compost. but I could send the meat their way. What about crushed bones?

Fish.. we can do a lot of ice fishing

sprout the grains before feeding them for better nutrition

freemotion - what is lawn hay? and offal.... sounds like it could be awful?

can chickens eat dried alfalfa?

if I feed them dried kale or other greens do I have to wet it down when I serve it or just give it to them dry?

sorry Im such a dumbie on this. All my neighbors just give store bought feed so Im not learning from them.. Im counting on you guys.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have given my ducks frozen kale. I just put it in a bucket of warm water. Great breakfast on a cold day.

My ducks have also eaten dried alfalfa but it had been soaked in water first.

Hang and drying red clover sounds like a good idea. I would try it with a few pieces and see how the critters react.

 

[Farmfresh]

Red clover ..... should I hang it and dry it? how about white clover Cut and let it sun dry, perhaps raking it a few times to make sure it is throughly dry - then "bale" it by filling a burlap or lawn bag. Like making hay.

sunflower heads. Cut and hang upside down to dry.

Crickets .... but what do you feed crickets? They eat grain or bread usually in pet stores.

road kill, would that include mice that I catch in traps? they say mice carry that deadly disease in their dropings around here...forgot what it is called. They eat mice in the field any time they can - I certainly wouldn't be worrying about them catching diseases from a mouse trapped mouse.

table scraps .... but I think I prefer to use these in by Bokoshi compost. but I could send the meat their way. What about crushed bones? I like to feed my table scraps and let them make the compost for me.

Fish.. we can do a lot of ice fishing

sprout the grains before feeding them for better nutrition

freemotion - what is lawn hay? See making clover hay above. and offal.... sounds like it could be awful? The inner parts of things you butcher to eat that you would rather not eat.

can chickens eat dried alfalfa? I regularly feed my hens alfalfa hay each winter. They love it!

if I feed them dried kale or other greens do I have to wet it down when I serve it or just give it to them dry? I would say YES and either way.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I've been thinking about this thread ever since I said, "Chickens, what chickens?" because frankly, if it came down to it, the last thing I'll admit to owning (assuming we'd be fighting for survival and depending on our chickens as a food source) is chickens. I see chickens being the new gold, stolen, and people scrapping like dogs over the last chicken leg.

In the nice weather, I'd just let my girls free range. Even in the winter, when pickings would be slim, and supplement with any food scraps that I could.

But, that's got me to thinking about winter - and if we would have another winter like this last one, they could NOT free range.

I'm thinking of looking into crickets - or a worm bin....my girls love worms!

My girls also love hay, and we've had to cut hay in the past with a weed eater - not afraid to do it again if I have to!

 

[Mackay]

This is all new to me, chickens eating dried hay. I guess they can manage to peck it apart? Some hay seems kinda tough to me.

There could be lots of different scenarios if the SHTF. Depends on how much S goes flying I guess. I am hoping that people will work with charity and self sustaining and barter and trade, but it might be difficult at first. If it comes to it the chickens move inside with me.

I would hate to think I had to shoot someone over a chicken or a bin of beans but you know, its happened before.