Seeds for livestock/flock feed?

[kcsunshine]

We always grow several huge beds of greens for the Farmers Market and the chickens were treated to any we brought back. They loved Kale, Turnip, Mustard, Florida Broadleaf.......BUt their favorite is Collards.
They also got cucumbers (I sliced them in half), summer squash (I didn't shred, just cut in half. They will eat it all but the skins.

 

[freemotion]

I planted comfrey in my pasture. Interestingly, the goats ignored it for a long time, then on two separate occasions I found it mowed to the ground. Chickens may have gotten it, too, as they also have access.

The warnings against comfrey have to do with an incident where a company ground up the whole plant, including the roots, and put it into capsule, which caused several cases of liver failure. Taken in reasonable amounts, the mature leaves are considered to be safe by many authorities. I dry the mature leaves for our use and have the plants in my pasture so the animals can learn to self-medicate.

As for my list, it is similar to those above. I don't need much by way of greens for the hens, since they seem to get plenty from the pasture even in winter, unless the snow cover is thick and lasts a long time. If there is any grass available at all, they ignore my offerings, so the goats get all the pumpkins, etc. Oh, the hens have learned to pick up alfalfa leaf from underneath my hay racks, too.

What my hens crave is protein. I need to get on the stick about the worm bins for winter protein.

 

[Blackbird]

There are two main varieties of comfrey, Symphytum Officinalise, and Symphytum Uplandica. The Uplandica is a hybrid created that has purple flowers that does not contain the harmful alkaloids.

I'm pretty sure the other kind with the alkaloids (which can cause liver failure) has the yellow flowers.

As long as yours has purple flowers your safe.

 

[Blackbird]

Its really hard for me to imagine feeding the animals kale, chard, etc.
I think this year I would like to look into growing amaranth for supplementing, as well as feeding more wild dock, nettle, golden rod, etc.

Our little 'field' by the woods that we cut and dry contains some alfalfa, red and white clover, wild turnip, vetch, rape, grasses and others but that only last so long with the goats.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I don't purposely grow greens for the critters, since we have plenty growing in the winter.

We grow:
broomcorn
sunflowers (we grow it for the flowers, but a lot of what goes to seed, goes to the chickens)
popcorn
let sweet corn dry for the chickens
millet
I harvest the wild mustard once it has gone to seed

plan on growing
Quinoa
Alfalfa

Otherwise our critters share a lot of the food we grow for ourselves

 

[GardenWeasel]

Free, did you plant comfrey from seed? I ordered it but it is on backorder.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

I think this year I would like to look into growing amaranth for supplementing, as well as feeding more wild dock, nettle, golden rod, etc.

iceblink - thanks for mentioning the jerusalem chokes.. reminds me to place an order with gurneys - they are running their $25 of a $50 order right now.

great thoughts about amaranth, BB! and FD and other said millet as well. i'm super excited about trying grains.

we are probably going to start with some buckwheat - not only for the bees but also b/c we have such bad soil and it will do ok. i planted a little in the fall and it took off until we had an early frost.

also on my grain list is barley and i'd love to do oats and millet...and corn of course.

we have a lot of white clover in our grass which we let grow out to bloom (for the bees) and of course the ducks and geese love it. but also we have some tall red clover (i dont know the variety) which made great snacks for the barnyard all summer. i just let it grow then cut it by the wheelbarrow full and take it to the goats and hens.

we've got a great list going!

GardenWeasel - you can order starters of comfrey from Richters in canada - wow they have a great catalog!

 

[Wifezilla]

Amaranth looks cool too.
http://rareseeds.com/cart/catalog/Amaranth-6-1.html

Check out the elephant head variety.

 

[freemotion]

Free, did you plant comfrey from seed? I ordered it but it is on backorder.

Actually, I was at the local greenhouse place last year, where I buy my plants, and was looking for comfrey. A couple overheard me asking a clerk for it, and approached. They were ripping out a garden and re-doing it and offered me all the comfrey I could use....so I traded butterfly bushes for over a dozen comfrey plants and a big wisteria stump and root that I still need to find a place for....I plopped it in my veg garden, figuring it wouldn't survive, and it sent tendrils everywhere!

BB, my comfrey has purple flowers!

 

[freemotion]

Be sure to get the grain amaranth and not the flower kind, like I did by mistake.....