What are you feeding your animals?

thestartupman · #1 12/27/12, 09:08 PM

Ok, here is a run down of the animals I have, and what I am feeding them. I have 43 chickens that about 9 pounds of feed per day, and some hard boiled eggs. I have 5 pigs, 4 gilts, and 1 boar. They get about 24 pounds of pig feed, some hard boiled eggs, and a little veggie scraps per day, and they are also ruting in the old garden area. They have done a great job of fall tiling of the garden. I have 15 cow calf pairs, that are eating stock piled pasture only. I have to say that I am wanting to stock pile pasture, but I have cheated so far, because there haven't been any animals on the pasture all summer, so that is the only reason I have so much stock piled grasses right now. I do hope I can learn about stock piling, and rotational grazing through this winter though. I do have 1 dog that gets bagged dog food right now, and a cat that gets bagged cat food right now. I am still looking to trim the feed budget. I hope many of you respond with more ideas.

harvestmoonfarm · #2 12/27/12, 10:24 PM

I don't feed my chickens. We still have plenty of pasture here and they forage nonstop - they all look great. I have 4 pigs (AGH) - 1 boar, 2 sows and a barrow - and they share about 8 lbs of Purina pellets per day; they also graze the pastures and look fantastic. The horses get no supplemental feed because they're also grazing and have absolutely no interest in hay. The goats are going through a pad of hay every other day (there are 5 of them) because they're also grazing. We put up 800+ bales of hay in late May, and have sold all but about 300 bales. The dogs and cats get bagged feed, which we buy about every three weeks.

rambler · #3 12/27/12, 10:34 PM

Do you give a mineral package, or a mineral block, to any of your critters?

The cattle may need a little extra protein to be efficient, you have the basic need met, but the overgrown old hay is going to be low in protein.

I'm feeding my similar cattle herd cornstalks, they are grazing a cornstalk filed. Works well at first as they get some grass and dropped ears as well as a small oats stubble field with some plow down alfalfa and turnips in it.

As they clean that good stuff up, and winter sets in and snow covers the field, I need to add hay bales, and protein. They still chew through the cornstalks for filler and fiber.

Protein can be from grain, or protein blocks, or alfalfa hay. Nothing cheap right now, but you don't need a lot if you have stockpiled hay, just some.

Is it good to feed eggs to chickens? Always thought a critter shouldn't be fed from its own species.

Paul

Bettacreek · #4 12/27/12, 10:36 PM

Contact local breweries, restaurants and bakeries for their discards for pigs and chickens... free food there.

So far we only have the birds, so we do mash and brewery grain. Works well for us anyways. Over summer it's only the free brewery grain.

MO_cows · #5 12/27/12, 11:11 PM

Hope you have salt and mineral out for those cattle and just didn't mention it. Watch their condition closely, because nursing calves and winter weather could drag them down and it's really hard to get condition back on them under those conditions. The self limiting protein tubs is what I would use if you still have grass but it just isn't high octane enough to maintain them.

Find someplace that can custom mill your pig feed, it is way cheaper than the bagged and formulated just as well. Our local farm service had a formula already made up for hogs and it worked great for them and was a lot cheaper than bagged feed.

Bakery thrift store, grocery store, you should be able to get some stuff free or at least cheap. Baked goods are mostly carbs/energy, not much protein, but will stretch your bought feed.

If you can free range your chickens they will find some food on their own. We still keep layer mash or pellets out for ours to make sure their needs are met. They hit the feeder in the morning until they are let out, then they forage all day and it does save on buying feed even in the winter.

thestartupman · #6 12/27/12, 11:12 PM

Harvestmoon, how many chickens do you have?

thestartupman · #7 12/27/12, 11:19 PM

MO cows, I do have a salt mineral block out for the cattle, and have been trying to decide if I should give them Range Cubes, or Protein Tubs to help out. I have all the chickens free ranging. I don't give them any feed until late morning, to force them to peck around the farm. It seems if I cut the feed back farther, they get very despirate for food.

harvestmoonfarm · #8 12/28/12, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thestartupman

Harvestmoon, how many chickens do you have?

Don't have an exact count, but I know it's close to 40. They raised multiple broods this year, so I've lost count! lol

My goats and horses do have minerals available at all times.

hiddensprings · #9 12/28/12, 09:47 AM

All of my animals have mineral blocks that is specific to the type (i.e. goats get goat mineral, cows get cow mineral, etc) My hens get veggie scraps, but other then that, fend for themselves. They are really my clean up crew. They pick corn or grains from around the cow feeders and spread the manure. My cows get a mix grain, 10% feed from our local feed mill. I use it to get them all to come in so I can check them. I'd say for 13 cows, they get 25 lbs a day. Horses get 1/2 a scoop of 14% feed from the mill, and goats get feed, the amount depends on if they are pregnancy, milking, or drying off. And everyone has hay now, free choice.

Cajun Arkie · #10 12/28/12, 04:13 PM

If you have a bread store close to you they often will give away truck loads of out of date and overstocks on a first come first serve basis.

harvestmoonfarm · #11 12/28/12, 04:46 PM

I won't give my pigs bread. The AGH breed is a "lard hog," which means I'd end up with nothing but fat at processing time.

jwal10 · #12 12/29/12, 12:00 AM

Bartered oats that I help harvest, grass in the pasture, meadow hay I put up by hand, garden produce, waste meat, fish, eggs and milk....James

Old Vet · #13 12/29/12, 01:00 AM

My horses get hay 24 7 along with what pasture is left and around 5lbs (around a coffee can) of 50 50 per day. The 50 50 has a lot less molasses than some does almost none.

Cheryl in SD · #14 12/29/12, 04:13 AM

35 hens get 2 gallons of COB (#80 sack last week & a half) per day + out of date bread. They would forage, but the ground is snow covered right now.

Dogs & cats get scraps & bought dry food.

thestartupman · #15 12/29/12, 06:40 AM

Cheryl, what is COB?

harvestmoonfarm · #16 12/29/12, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thestartupman

Cheryl, what is COB?

COB = corn, oats and barley

Minelson · #17 12/29/12, 10:41 AM

My 18 chickens get pelleted layer feed and a small amount of BOSS plus lots of table scraps. They free range but we are snow covered now. My 2 horses get grass hay and a treat of BOSS and alfalfa pellets...abut a 16oz cup each. My 4 mini goats get 24/7 grass hay. One small flake of Alfalfa hay am & pm. 1 cup of BOSS and 1 cup whole oats that they share in the PM. I do not milk or breed. My mini donks (mama and 4 month old baby) get 1/2 c BOSS and 1/2 c whole oats as a treat in the pm that they share. 1/2 small flake alfalfa that they share am & pm. 24/7 grass hay. Everyone gets minerals. My 4 outdoor cats get Purina cat chow available 24/7. My 3 indoor cats get Purina ONe Urinary tract formula 24/7. My 2 dogs get Taste of the Wild about 2 cups each a day. My husband gets whatever I'm hungry for

MyPearson45 · #18 01/09/13, 10:49 PM

i feed free choice grass hay (the best i can find, and ask the farmer for the bales on the edge of the field so i get a few weeds, leaves, and twiggies), free choice alfalfa pellets. then mix about 3 cups whole oats with 9 cups alfalfa pellets / horse pellets. there is some cracked corn that gets tossed in here and there too. i like to feed a mix because if one type of feed goes way up in price i can rely on the other a little heavier and their tummies are already used to the feed. Oh ya, i "harvest" as many oak leaves as i can stand to bag in the fall too. on really cold nights i dump a bag into their dog kennel for added insulation and something to keep them happy and warm as they bed down and munch while keeping their little legs warm. (i tried the goat coat thing but they just kept taking their cloths off!) in my opinion, the pellet feed reduces waste significantly! in about 1 month i would bet i have about 1bale of wasted hay. i do feed hay high off the ground so the nubian pulls the hay out of 4x4 wire manger. droppings fall into a troff and the pygmy picks through it. 1x per week i sweep out the crumbs and clean the troff with vinegar and water solution. my goats are kept in a dog kennel with a slatted deck flooring so poo and pee usually fall down through the cracks so my goats really dont seem to mind munching on the leaves on the decking probably cuz they are used to eating the oak leaves off the ground anyways.

MyPearson45 · #19 01/09/13, 10:56 PM

chickens get a flock block 24/7 and scratch 1x per day. i love the flock block and will never go without one ever again! there is minimal waste, and if i have to work a double shift, i dont have to worry about hungry, cold animals at home.

chickenista · #20 01/09/13, 11:53 PM

My birds (bourbon reds, various chicken breeds, muscovey ducks) get a local feed.
It is meal, not pellets, but it is local, doesn't have any of that added carp that makes the rancid oils in pellets more palatable and very fresh and inexpensive and they do very well on it.