Feeding Chickens Duckweed

[Wolfsbane]

So I have been feeding my chickens duckweed from the pond supplemented with a bit of grain every day.
I throw it in the kiddie pools that I use for my ducks and the chickens and ducks love it. They get right into the water to eat it. I read that it was high in protein like 30-50% and all my skinny hens have filled out nicely and it saves me a lot of money.

Was wondering if anyone else does this?

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

I have never heard of doing that, actually. We have some on our pond, but the hens are too far from it to try. Of course, I've never had ducks. Based on the texture, I would say hens would eat it right up.
My chickens get all the alfalfa they could ever want, but they seem more interested in the bugs in it....

 

[Wolfsbane]

I have never heard of doing that, actually. We have some on our pond, but the hens are too far from it to try. Of course, I've never had ducks. Based on the texture, I would say hens would eat it right up.
My chickens get all the alfalfa they could ever want, but they seem more interested in the bugs in it....

Do you feed them dry alfalfa hay?

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

No, we have an alfalfa field right next to their coop. A clover field, too, but they don't seem interested in it.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I feed my 6 week old and the 2/3 month old chicks duck weed every day----the rest of the chickens free range. I grow it in a old garden tub. I introduced it to them slowly---now when I throw a double handful in their pen---they are all over it.

 

[debid]

http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/frg/lrrd/lrrd7/1/3.htm

I was just reading this and thought I'd share.

I've been giving duckweed as a treat when I remove some to keep it from shading the aquariums too much. I was (foolishly!) worried about it being too low in protein to give as more than an occasional vegetable treat. I'm now thinking of harvesting a bit less at a time but more often as it seems to double overnight.

 

[dunnmom]

I feed my girls duckweed, but not as a main food source. I consider it to be a very healthy snack, and they love to scratch and pick through the giant clumps we clean out of the pond. It also cools their feet. Last year our pond was taken over by water hyacinth. They ate that and loved it. This year, the duckweed took over, and they eat that just as happily. We have the micro-sized duckweed and it multiplies quicker than anything I've ever seen!

 

[achiekitty]

I’ve been trying to get my chickens to eat duckweed all year, and they just kept ignoring them, until very recently. Two of the three are molting, that maybe the reason, to get the extra protein.

 

[Compost King]

if Duckweed was a staple food for chickens, how much duckweed would one chicken eat in 1 day? I considered getting a stock tank and growing Duckweed and crayfish to feed chickens. I would likely keep the tail meat for me and leave the shells (Calcium) for the chickens. Duckweed can also be dehydrated for winter feeding.

 

[Nigel27]

if Duckweed was a staple food for chickens, how much duckweed would one chicken eat in 1 day? I considered getting a stock tank and growing Duckweed and crayfish to feed chickens. I would likely keep the tail meat for me and leave the shells (Calcium) for the chickens. Duckweed can also be dehydrated for winter feeding.

What a great idea, I’ve considered the same before I had birds as a human food source, but I would rather feed it to my birds then eat them. I have access to a duckweed pond so I would probably get the majority of it from there, but the crayfish would be a great addition to their diet