Simple Idea For Winter Feeding of Chickens

Here at The Halpern Homestead, we are always looking for ways to substitute the chicken's diet in the winter. Winter for many chickens is fed based on a packaged chicken feed offered at all hours of the day. Us, as well as many of our blog friends and local friends, choose not to follow this practice as the only source of feeding during the winter. 

Summer around our home is a great time for the chickens. The hens are free range. Meaning they have unlimited access to all the bugs and vegetation that they can forage in the daylight hours. In addition to extras we provide our chickens with: garden overgrowth/weeds as well as produce damaged by the voles, daily kitchen scraps/spoils that they love so much, and any other 'human' waste that the chickens just love (rinds, cobs, seeds, anything too bitter or sour).

The winter complicates things since we aren't growing extra produce in the garden and the vegetation in the fields is limited. One idea that I really like, is buying organic produce at sale prices and feeding it to the chickens. Now in an ideal world, we would grow enough food in the garden to support us and our animals throughout the winter. Someday this will be our goal, but for now we are doing the best we can with what we have.

I was at our local natural market 2 weeks ago and found a 25lb bag of organic carrots for only $15. Screaming deal on carrots! 

Now carrots may not be a 'complete' feed for chickens in terms of needed proteins, fats, carbs, and minerals; but they have a lot more minerals and vitamins than one would think.

Nutrition facts according to the USDA

Vitamins according to http://nutritiondata.self.com.

Minerals according to http://nutritiondata.self.com.

Plenty of trace minerals such as: calcium/manganese. Electrolytes such as: potassium and magnesium. Vitamins such as: vitamins A/C/K/B6, thiamin and the wonderful folate. Small amount of protein, a large amount of dietary fiber and even iron. What more can you ask for in a low carbohydrate snack?

Carrots are well tolerated among our animal friends from the dogs to the geese, they all enjoy them. We have found that the carrots are better tolerated by the birds if shredded first.

Luckily we have a food processor with a shred blade.

It makes quick work of pounds of carrots. The usual batch is 1.5 gallons of volume.

The shredding power is almost excessive. Even the largest of carrots are gone in seconds.

Every time I take a late night snack to the birds I feel like they know I am coming.

It is well past bedtime and these birds are cruising the floor like they knew it was too soon for bed.

All birds from the hens to the ducks come running and flying for carrot time.

May not be a common practice for most, but the extra produce and attention shows in these beautiful eggs!

Thanks for reading!

We Have Mites. Updated with a solution to the problem 12/2/11

Gross, ugly, disgusting, nasty mites. Let me show you what I am talking about.

Perhaps, now you are thinking.. 'That's it? It's not so bad.'

Perhaps you need a more detailed photograph.

SICK. 

Those repulsive and foul creatures have infested my poor birdies.

I think I just threw up in my mouth.

Anywho, we lost little Myrtle yesterday and noticed that the coop was covered in those vomitous little creatures.

Poor little Myrtle. 

It was time for a little defensive action. Mike did some research and we decided to try putting garlic in their water to make the chickies less desirable to the little bastards, as well as, sprinkling some diatomaceous earth in their feathers, roosts, coop, and dust bathing areas.

I bought this at Aslin-Finch. It was pretty pricey, but since I am in a bind, I didn't mind.

The chickies have taken over this area in front of the living room window to use for their hygiene facilities. They dust bath here, and I am hoping they will dust themselves with this beautifully fine powder meant to kill those little jerks by cutting them up and drying them out. Take that, you stupid mites! BRING IT ON!

Update 12/2/11: 

The D-earth worked very well. 

All of the mites were gone in 2 weeks. 

We did two separate dustings, 7 days apart. 

There has been no sign of the mites since then. 

If anyone out there tells you that this stuff doesn't work, don't listen. There is no reason to use harsh chemicals on your hens when this works just as well. Just don't forget to wear a mask. The dust can irritate your lungs due to the sharp edges on the little dust particles.

We now use D-earth each time we clean out the coop as a preventative solution. Azurestandard.com has the best deal on D-earth. 20 bucks for 50pounds. 

Hope this helps those out there with the same problem. Feel free to comment and ask us questions about it.