Does anybody have poultry/waterfowl

[brydee]

Hi, I am trying to find info on feeding a 100% raw diet for poultry and waterfowl, mine are both mainly raw but wondering if anybody has experience in getting them 100% as they all do depend on their feed except my cock who isnt that fussed.
The prepared foods usually have the contents of scratch in them just in different proportions, though they say not to feed scratch as a meal and only as a treat. Part of me is saying its quite easy as most the foods they eat already are raw but its finding something to fill the bulk of prepared food for them. would seed sproats contain enough protein?
Any ideas?
Oh and if anybody has any experience of curing scaly leg naturally would be a big help! currently using vaseline but wanting to use something more natural and that i could possible grow in the future.
Thanks
Brydee

[MysticTree]

I have hens and they have mixed grain and the run of a fair amount of my garden so they also eat bugs and worms.

They also have layer pellet sometimes which isn't raw but they are a happy lot.

[brydee]

I have hens and they have mixed grain and the run of a fair amount of my garden so they also eat bugs and worms.

They also have layer pellet sometimes which isn't raw but they are a happy lot.

Hi MysticTree,

Mine are the same, they get full run for 6 hours a day but at the moment have to be shut away for the other 6 hours so that the geese can graze as the males do not get on. I am moving soon and will have more space but still wouldnt feel that they would get enough without the pellets.

[MysticTree]

Hi MysticTree,

Mine are the same, they get full run for 6 hours a day but at the moment have to be shut away for the other 6 hours so that the geese can graze as the males do not get on. I am moving soon and will have more space but still wouldnt feel that they would get enough without the pellets.

All this dry weather isn't helping. The hens have grazed the grass right down and if you have geese too then your grass situation must be fairly critical.

[Mary Kay]

I also have chickens. Try this:

www.themodernhomestead.us/poultry/feeds_sprout.html

HTH,

Mary Kay

[Mary Kay]

Oops, I just tried to go to the Modern Homestead site and it says it's temporarily down because some hackers got on it. Sigh....but that he'll be back.

He did a lot of sprouting for his birds. He uses Austrian peas, which he sprouts, instead of soy, for example, which must be roasted.

He says he feeds his birds about 3 oz per day per bird. This is 21 oz per week...heck all the books say you feed about 1.6 lbs of feed per bird, per week, and this has been my experience, so the savings is not much, however, there is the "live/sprouted food" factor to consider.

Check out his site in a week or two. It's pretty cool.

Mary Kay

[MysticTree]

the girls get sprouted stuff like mung, lentil and peas. I have a habit of sharing my food with the animals. One hen got into the porch the other day and ate 3 leaves off my chilli plants! There is some wheat growing in the wild bit of the garden which I am planning to give to them when it's matured a bit.

[brydee]

All this dry weather isn't helping. The hens have grazed the grass right down and if you have geese too then your grass situation must be fairly critical.

No its not, I have been watering the grass which is helping. We had some minor flood damage so have alot of new grass growing. The chickens have never been that interested in the grass and are more interested in the other wild plants. We only have four geese at the moment. And one hen/one cockerel of my own and then im looking after a hen and three chicks, possibly keeping them but she spends most of her time not on our land and comes here to roost so she has very little impact. We have 'wild' chickens in our village and that and one of my cats interveening is how I ended up with just one hen and one cockerel and looking after the hen and chicks :D

[brydee]

Oops, I just tried to go to the Modern Homestead site and it says it's temporarily down because some hackers got on it. Sigh....but that he'll be back.

He did a lot of sprouting for his birds. He uses Austrian peas, which he sprouts, instead of soy, for example, which must be roasted.

He says he feeds his birds about 3 oz per day per bird. This is 21 oz per week...heck all the books say you feed about 1.6 lbs of feed per bird, per week, and this has been my experience, so the savings is not much, however, there is the "live/sprouted food" factor to consider.

Check out his site in a week or two. It's pretty cool.

Mary Kay

Thanks for the link, will have a look when it is back up :D
I give them sprouts as a little extra but wasnt sure whether it was safe to give as a their main feed, will do more research into sprouts. They are not that keen on them either even though I do a variety of seeds. My chickens came from semi wild chickens though who roam about our village and terrorize gardens in gangs, other than their pellets they are very picky about what time of year they eat other foods. More than I have seen in other peoples chickens. Mine love apples when they are in season but will not eat any other time. as soon as some of the wild plants are only a couple of cm bigger they will not touch them. It is very educational learning from them and the way in which they eat

[brydee]

the girls get sprouted stuff like mung, lentil and peas. I have a habit of sharing my food with the animals. One hen got into the porch the other day and ate 3 leaves off my chilli plants! There is some wheat growing in the wild bit of the garden which I am planning to give to them when it's matured a bit.

Ha I have a habit of doing that also :) Sounds like you have a great thing going on! We are a little self sufficient here but moving hopefully within the next few months to try and live totally self sufficient. Im very interested in trying to get all the animals as self sufficient as possible without compromising their health/wellbeing.

[MysticTree]

Ha I have a habit of doing that also :) Sounds like you have a great thing going on! We are a little self sufficient here but moving hopefully within the next few months to try and live totally self sufficient. Im very interested in trying to get all the animals as self sufficient as possible without compromising their health/wellbeing.

i'm so envious :)

[Mary Kay]

I believe chickens are meant to eat grains...and you mention sprouting seeds and nuts etc, but not grains. You can also sprout grains. the guy whose site I told you about does just this...In 5 gal buckets.

Also, your scaly legs sounds like scaly leg mites...I never researched it, cuz I never had it, but maybe go to the Organic chicken forum...are you familiar? I can get you the addy, if not.

I'd also want to check out some sort of essential oils for the mites...maybe soak their legs in water with essential oils in them (but experiment first) --some may be irritating to the chickens legs....I believe in Young Living as the best brand too.

then instead of vaseline, maybe coconut oil? There's also some sort of balm old timers use...maybe check into that...

Oh, Young Living makes some sort of balm, I think....Well, I guess you've got your research cut out for you...

HTH,

Mary Kay

[brydee]

I believe chickens are meant to eat grains...and you mention sprouting seeds and nuts etc, but not grains. You can also sprout grains. the guy whose site I told you about does just this...In 5 gal buckets.

Also, your scaly legs sounds like scaly leg mites...I never researched it, cuz I never had it, but maybe go to the Organic chicken forum...are you familiar? I can get you the addy, if not.

I'd also want to check out some sort of essential oils for the mites...maybe soak their legs in water with essential oils in them (but experiment first) --some may be irritating to the chickens legs....I believe in Young Living as the best brand too.

then instead of vaseline, maybe coconut oil? There's also some sort of balm old timers use...maybe check into that...

Oh, Young Living makes some sort of balm, I think....Well, I guess you've got your research cut out for you...

HTH,

Mary Kay

Yes I also believe they are suppose to eat grains, but more natural options of wild type grains. I also was meaning to mention these :)
I need to word things better! I also was meaning scaly leg mites, the problem is being dealt with now, seems to be clearing up. Did not have any other oil in the house other than olive, only had teaspoon left of coconut. I added a very small amount of tea tree oil to the olive oil and have been using it as a 'dip' before bedtime also cleaning their legs before I applying it with warmwater and ACV. Have bought some natural scaly leg mite spray just incase but their legs looking alot better. Will check out the organic chicken forum, I am on a couple of poultry forums but that sounds brilliant as the people on the poultry forums can never answer my organic questions! will also have a look at the brand of essential oils, thanks guys!

Oh just one more question, do you know any good places to buy sproating grains from in a large quantity?

[Mary Kay]

wheatgrasskits and sproutpeople are a couple you can check out. Last I knew wheatgrasskits had very good prices.

What you did for your scaly leg mites, sounds just about what my thoughts were. LOL, great minds think alike!

Once a week, I put Thieves into their food. Thieves is a blend by Young Living. And the minute I see a sick chicken, I give them some Thieves in a dropper. I know I've brought a couple back to health!

I have from 75 - 100 chickens.

Mary Kay

[MysticTree]

given the chance hens will eat seeds, grains greens, worms, insects & spiders and on occasion - mice :eek:

They will also eat their own eggs if the shell is weak and breaks. They like ant and snail eggs and snails and slugs.

They will also eat a variety of totally not chicken food such as cat food, doughnuts etc ... I have to keep asking my neighbour to stop throwing them biscuits and cakes :confused:

If it has calories, a chicken will eat it lol

[Parvati Raines]

I've raised chickens on and off since I was 5. We had ducks awhile too. We have always free-ranged our birds so their diet was varied as chickens will eat anything that holds still long enough. Ducks are not so much into bugs that I can tell. I have seen them eat them on occasion.

While I don't condone caging a chicken, that would be the only way you could guarantee a completely vegetarian diet for them.

The last big year for cicadas here my chickens ate so many that one day when I let them out that morning, I watched one run up to a cicada perched on a weed. I swear the chicken pause and looked at it, then it made a gagging motion and turned around and walked away.

The eggs during that period tasted fine but had very dark orange yolks that were extremely thick.