Winter Feeds

[tencount]

I do agree with Java.  I do have several horse and dairy farms around me and can have all the manure I want.  Winter is coming on so I will take advantage and go over to my friends dairy farm.  Alfalfa Hay is real good in the winter, throw a bale out and watch them go to it but can be tuff to get here but can be had.  One thing is for sure, once you give them what they want you will notice a difference in their general makeup..Have a great week and I hope to see y'all at the northeast poultry show.

[Falling Tree Farm]

While we are talking about winter feeds there are some other feeds that the birds enjoy-pumpkins cut into wedges-in a day or so all that is left is the thin outer skin.   Winter squash-zapped in the microwave for a few minutes and cut in two or four.  Any kind of fruit that goes soft and you don't want to eat, but never any citrus fruit. (I don't know why except that that is what I have been told).  Howard
PS Monte-my birds love alfalfa hay too!

[tencount]

Nankin3,

I have never gotten to the point were my mixture became rancid, what I continue to do is stir it up both in the summer and in the winter.  If you are going to feed the oats in the winter try and not let it freeze, peeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuu it stinks.  I would say mix up only what you can use in a short period of time, then take a break from the oats and continue with your other feeds.
 
Here are several other things I do, around here the supermarkets are not supposed to let you have the veggies they throw out, safety reasons, but I do have my ways.  See if you can get a box of outdated mixed type of veggies and put that in the runs, your Nankins should devoure that also.  Table scraps in the winter are good also, just watch the salt is all.  Now I have been buying scratch grain and whole corn at Wally Mart and mixing it in with other grains and pellets, this helps to keep them warm also.  Not sure about the rest of y'all but my chickens both large and small will stop eating pellets if there are more grains.  I am more of a grain feed than a pellet feeder, I know, I know, lots of arugment for that statement lolol.  The pellets do I use are the Breeder Pellets for game and turkeys, this seems to work well and the chickens eat it more than the regular pellets.  Wally Mart also has this Bunny pellet that is an alalfa mix and the chickens like it also, I mix a coffee can of these in with the regular feed twice a month.  Now I do know all of this sounds like alot, but if you break it up it is easier to do, I do most on the weekends during the winter.  I also have a mix for dog food too that is good if anyone would like it let me know.

[nankin3]

Thanks everyone the Alfalfa was a big hit with the birds! I took them a little while to start tearing into it but once they started they had a ball with it. It will be a once in a while treat though it is nearly 13.00 here for a compressed bale!
 
Howard, I did give mine a couple of pumpkins after halloween I just quartered them and threw them in the run the next day there was nothing but skin left.

 Thanks for the tip on the veggies Tencount, made me think my first cousin manages a local supermarket I may be able to hit him up for some of the old veggies to supplement their feed with.