MJ's little flock

[LozzyR]

At my place, every summer there's very little forage for the hens to eat.

Would lucerne chaff be an adequate forage supplement? I believe lucerne is called alfalfa elsewhere.

As a hay, it has very twiggy stalks that might cause crop impaction. But as a chaff it might be ok

Any thoughts?

Here's a photo: https://d2j6dbq0eux0bg.cloudfront.net/images/6621056/1583900958.jpg

Not sure, as we usually have plenty of grass. The picture looks like what is offered up for rabbits, but they have teeth so could grind the chaff up smaller if needed.

 

[MaryJanet]

Not sure, as we usually have plenty of grass. The picture looks like what is offered up for rabbits, but they have teeth so could grind the chaff up smaller if needed.

Hmmm good point.

 

[ManueB]

Were they able to check the age of the tuna? I'd go check for myself but I don't have long before I have to go to work.

No, they did not. And the fish industry points out that their study has too few samples to be conclusive. I agree with you that it takes a lot of reading to sort out the real threats from the false fears !
One point of the study was to show how the EU decided the safe amount of mercury in tuna was different (higher) from all other fishes, for no reason other than because tuna contains more mercury. To me, unless there was a specific reason for which mercury in tuna would be absorbed differently, it just doesn't make sense. The safety threshold should be the same for all fishes. Unfortunately while national safety agencies mostly do a serious job, final decisions in the EU are very influenced by lobbies. It's a vicious circle that goes both ways because NGOs counter commercial and industrial lobbies by getting into lobbying themselves.

I once did the sums for chickens eating apple seeds. It was interesting. Mine get all the apples they want.

So do mine. We use apple seeds here to make jam, for pectine. Don't people do that in the US ?

At my place, every summer there's very little forage for the hens to eat.

Would lucerne chaff be an adequate forage supplement? I believe lucerne is called alfalfa elsewhere.

As a hay, it has very twiggy stalks that might cause crop impaction. But as a chaff it might be ok

Any thoughts?

Here's a photo: https://d2j6dbq0eux0bg.cloudfront.net/images/6621056/1583900958.jpg

Perhaps all the different hays in chaff format would be a good way to go

We grow alfafa. I've never seen the chickens touch it or try to eat the seeds. Indeed when we cut it it's for the neighbours rabbits. Shadrach said the chickens in Spain were happy to dig in the alfafa left overs but I'm not sure they actually ate them.
Why not germinate seeds, or lentils ?
My chickens leave the barley out of the mix I buy them. I accidentally discovered it was quick to germinate, and then they will forage it either when it is like grass, or if I let it grow they love the seed on the plant. So now I use their left over to seed small parts of their yard I cover for two weeks, and then they eat it all in two days .
I had the same experience with chia seeds. They love the plant's leaves (it's more like a shrub really).

If you want to buy something that is ready to give out I would go for alfafa sprouts meant for humans.

 

[MaryJanet]

No, they did not. And the fish industry points out that their study has too few samples to be conclusive. I agree with you that it takes a lot of reading to sort out the real threats from the false fears !
One point of the study was to show how the EU decided the safe amount of mercury in tuna was different (higher) from all other fishes, for no reason other than because tuna contains more mercury. To me, unless there was a specific reason for which mercury in tuna would be absorbed differently, it just doesn't make sense. The safety threshold should be the same for all fishes. Unfortunately while national safety agencies mostly do a serious job, final decisions in the EU are very influenced by lobbies. It's a vicious circle that goes both ways because NGOs counter commercial and industrial lobbies by getting into lobbying themselves.

So do mine. We use apple seeds here to make jam, for pectine. Don't people do that in the US ?


We grow alfafa. I've never seen the chickens touch it or try to eat the seeds. Indeed when we cut it it's for the neighbours rabbits. Shadrach said the chickens in Spain were happy to dig in the alfafa left overs but I'm not sure they actually ate them.
Why not germinate seeds, or lentils ?
My chickens leave the barley out of the mix I buy them. I accidentally discovered it was quick to germinate, and then they will forage it either when it is like grass, or if I let it grow they love the seed on the plant. So now I use their left over to seed small parts of their yard I cover for two weeks, and then they eat it all in two days .
I had the same experience with chia seeds. They love the plant's leaves (it's more like a shrub really).

If you want to buy something that is ready to give out I would go for alfafa sprouts meant for humans.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, it's very helpful.

When time affords, I'm going to set up a large raised bed of greens in the run and cover it with this stuff

so the hens can't pull the plants out by the roots but they can graze the tops off.

Depending on how things work out for Mary, Edie and Blossom, it could be a project that happens before Christmas.

But that's within the run.

The wider backyard is a problem because it's so sandy it doesn't hold roots very well and it's easy for even the laziest of hens to rip plants out by the roots.

That's why I was thinking of sprinkling a forage substitute around as a quick fix.

 

[RoyalChick]

No, they did not. And the fish industry points out that their study has too few samples to be conclusive. I agree with you that it takes a lot of reading to sort out the real threats from the false fears !
One point of the study was to show how the EU decided the safe amount of mercury in tuna was different (higher) from all other fishes, for no reason other than because tuna contains more mercury. To me, unless there was a specific reason for which mercury in tuna would be absorbed differently, it just doesn't make sense. The safety threshold should be the same for all fishes. Unfortunately while national safety agencies mostly do a serious job, final decisions in the EU are very influenced by lobbies. It's a vicious circle that goes both ways because NGOs counter commercial and industrial lobbies by getting into lobbying themselves.

So do mine. We use apple seeds here to make jam, for pectine. Don't people do that in the US ?


We grow alfafa. I've never seen the chickens touch it or try to eat the seeds. Indeed when we cut it it's for the neighbours rabbits. Shadrach said the chickens in Spain were happy to dig in the alfafa left overs but I'm not sure they actually ate them.
Why not germinate seeds, or lentils ?
My chickens leave the barley out of the mix I buy them. I accidentally discovered it was quick to germinate, and then they will forage it either when it is like grass, or if I let it grow they love the seed on the plant. So now I use their left over to seed small parts of their yard I cover for two weeks, and then they eat it all in two days .
I had the same experience with chia seeds. They love the plant's leaves (it's more like a shrub really).

If you want to buy something that is ready to give out I would go for alfafa sprouts meant for humans.

I like this idea. In depth if winter I germinate wheat berries in the kitchen for my lot. They really love them.

 

[Shadrach]

There's a lot of food fear to contend with. Sorting fear from knowledge takes time many of us just don't have.

The what we found in this or that plant, meat, liquid studies isn't really surprising. It's why we have at least some kind of food standards. If one was to go on the more sensational reports and particulalry on some of the diet and nutrition orientated sites and "health" blog and sites, we can't eat or drink anything anymore because it has some harmfull chenical or residue in it, on it, or where it lived.
The organic supporters would have us believe that the organic produce is better for us. How much better? A months extra life on average? A year or two?

Many things that our body hopefully deals with day to day are harmfull after a certain level of consumption. Granted many of these toxins shouldn't be there, but they are and we don't know how to remove them, or even have the will to try in some cases.

While it is good to know these things the studies unearth, it seems to me that even with a massive amount of education and money, the horse has already bolted.
Yes we can try to do our bit but meanwhile we have to eat and drink.

 

[BY Bob]

The what we found in this or that plant, meat, liquid studies isn't really surprising. It's why we have at least some kind of food standards. If one was to go on the more sensational reports and particulalry on some of the diet and nutrition orientated sites and "health" blog and sites, we can't eat or drink anything anymore because it has some harmfull chenical or residue in it, on it, or where it lived.
The organic supporters would have us believe that the organic produce is better for us. How much better? A months extra life on average? A year or two?

Many things that our body hopefully deals with day to day are harmfull after a certain level of consumption. Granted many of these toxins shouldn't be there, but they are and we don't know how to remove them, or even have the will to try in some cases.

While it is good to know these things the studies unearth, it seems to me that even with a massive amount of education and money, the horse has already bolted.
Yes we can try to do our bit but meanwhile we have to eat and drink.

 

[BY Bob]

So do mine. We use apple seeds here to make jam, for pectine. Don't people do that in the US ?

Sadly I cannot answer that question. I have no idea.

 

[MaryJanet]

The what we found in this or that plant, meat, liquid studies isn't really surprising. It's why we have at least some kind of food standards. If one was to go on the more sensational reports and particulalry on some of the diet and nutrition orientated sites and "health" blog and sites, we can't eat or drink anything anymore because it has some harmfull chenical or residue in it, on it, or where it lived.
The organic supporters would have us believe that the organic produce is better for us. How much better? A months extra life on average? A year or two?

Many things that our body hopefully deals with day to day are harmfull after a certain level of consumption. Granted many of these toxins shouldn't be there, but they are and we don't know how to remove them, or even have the will to try in some cases.

While it is good to know these things the studies unearth, it seems to me that even with a massive amount of education and money, the horse has already bolted.
Yes we can try to do our bit but meanwhile we have to eat and drink.

Completely agree.

Also individual people are juggling many and diverse thoughts when deciding what to eat. Attempting to coerce someone demonstrates a blindness or carelessness about that complexity.

People make their best choices. Judging and coercion are a cruelty but offering information is a kindness. Broadly speaking, I'd like to see a little less from column A and a little more from column B.

 

[MaryJanet]

There's a broody poop in the run! That's two days in a row Mary's been up.

It puts my mind at rest.