Raising chickens w/o feeding them grain.

[Kaleva]

One of the major issues I believe we will face as climate change continues to get worse and we work to adapt is interruptions in the supply chain and that includes food. To that end, I often think about, research and actually work at raising enough food to help my wife and I and our extended family to have enough to ride out shortages. My multi-year project of turning my backyard into a vegetable garden and fruit orchard is part of that.

I don't have the space for animals but my son-in-law does on 20 acres he and my step-daughter own just outside of town on a side road. He has raised pigs and chickens there but it's too hard to care for them and wont again until they build a home there and can be there everyday. I helped him before and I continue to think about how to make it sustainable and as close to self sufficient as possible in case of interruptions in the supply chain. Might not be able to get grain for the chickens.

How it's done is that a large compost pile is made and then allow the chickens to scratch for food in the pile. Some allow the chickens to free range in conjunction to having the compost pile while others have the pile in a fenced in chicken run.

Egg production will drop and meat birds will take longer to gain weight with this method. To get high output, you need high input and with chickens, that means feeding them grain but for the homesteader or hobby farmer who just want some eggs for themselves, lower production may be worth the reduced cost in feeding them.

There are numerous videos on YouTube about this. I'll be doing more research so I can come up with what I'll consider to be a good plan.

[New Haven]

1. county agricultural orgs might help

when I was 12 ---1957--I raised 100 chickens ---50 hens 50 rooster---with 4H----used grain ---but they were kinda free range on a pen ---can't help with the compost idea but am willing to help if I could------one thing I did find is that if they do not get enough calcium they will eat their own eggs-----adding calcium stopped that------another problem was when my egg production went down I also discovered by head count that some chickens were missing----a raccoon was having a feast ---live trap caught him and we moved him elsewhere ------good luck ---

the New Haven County agricultural station helped me with their guidance

[Kaleva]

3. Providing proper and adequate nutrients is something I'll have to research

I've read where some grind up the egg shells very fine and feed that back to the chickens but I would think that the Law of Diminishing Returns would kick in as the amount of calcium available would decrease overtime.

[mopinko]

2. i know someone who feeds his 2 doz chix from dumpsters.

obv this is a city thing. but if i wanted to do it, there are restaurants and a fruit market w/in a couple blocks.

since chix are omnivores, meats scraps can bridge that gap.
both dog and cat food are fine, too. cheap dog food is about the same protein as regular feed. better grades are about broiler feed level.
if i have boys i plan to eat, i pen them together and raise them on dog food.
if i feel the girls arent getting enough protein, like they're picking feathers, i give them a little cat which is the highest pro, about double usual feed.

some folks raise maggots for their chix. black soldier flies are the preferred species, but you could rig some bait like a bit of old meat, and let common flies lay eggs.
i sometimes bring up worms for them. a piece of plywood or some such, either in a wet spot or after a rain, or run a sprinkler then turn it over. i have some big logs that i roll over now and again.
i'm sure there are other strategies for insect protein.

[Kaleva]

4. Feeding the chickens over winter may be an issue for me.

They can't free range and a compost pile not too hot for bugs to survive may freeze.

Fish can be an option and there's no size or possession limit for suckers and can be fished year round.

Another thing I'll need to research.

[mopinko]

5. look into the soldier flies.

there's lots of dyi set ups out there, and it's simple to collect the larvae.

[Kaleva]

6. Soldier flies probably won't work for me in winter

As they require warm conditions.

Winter squash and pumpkins would work as some varieties can keep for a long time and chickens love them

[mopinko]

7. yeah, those are good but

you could use a seed mat, or other direct heat.