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How to Make Your Own Chicken or Poultry Feed

Homesteaders who aspire to greater self-sufficiency often want to grow or at least mix their own chicken feed. If you can grow everything your chickens eat, you don't have to purchase feed. If you mix feed from purchased bulk ingredients, at least you know the composition of the feed - some farmers want to avoid soy or corn, for example, or use non-GMO versions of these grains.

First, Raise Chickens on Pasture

One really easy way to feed your chickens without buying as much chicken feed is to raise them on pasture. This is the most natural diet chickens can eat. As long as they have enough acreage or consistently fresh pasture (such as using a movable coop to give them fresh ground daily or weekly), chickens can self-regulate and find enough insects, bugs, weeds, grasses and seeds to stay healthy.

However, if you live in a place where winter comes and the grass stops growing, you'll need to give them feed at least through the cold. And it's a good idea to have supplemental feed for them even if they are primarily foraging.

If you want to raise your flock on pasture and supplement with your own poultry feed, read more about pasturing chickens and other poultry for that information, then come back and read on to learn how to make your own feed.

Equipment for Making Your Own Poultry Feed

Making your own feed for more than a handful of chickens requires a commercial, heavy-duty feed or flour mill. This way you can freshly grind the grains you purchase for your hens.

You will also need to think about storage for the bags of grains you buy. Consider building a storage bin with partitions for each of your grains and a lid at the top. If you can use a sliding gate at the bottom to dispense the grain, you can naturally rotate the grains. You may need to clean the bins out completely once or twice a year to prevent pests from infesting them.

What to Put in Your DIY Poultry Feed

Whether you grow some, all or none of it, the key question is: what plants should you feed them? In what proportions? If you search the Internet you will find many different recipes. In some ways, you're going to have to customize your feed to the specifics of your geographical region: what's available, what's inexpensive, and what you can grow if you plan to grow it yourself will all factor in to the final feed.

You will want to study the ingredients in commercial poultry feed to see what percentages you are shooting for. If you are a little lower in protein than commercial brands, that's okay - just be aware that your birds will not grow as quickly. You do need to make sure that you strike a balance of all the macronutrients, like fats, carbohydrates and protein, and micronutrients such as vitamins and enzymes. Some trial and error might come into play.

Here are some of the ingredients you should consider putting in your chicken feed. Please remember this is just a general guideline. You'll need to research this more thoroughly and put together your own custom mix.

Main Feed:

Alfalfa meal (high protein, good for winter)

Corn (mainstay for chickens, store whole)

Field peas (for protein, to avoid soybean use)

Wheat

Oats and/or Barley (less than 15% of total diet together)

Things to Add:

Aragonite or feeding limestone (for calcium, not entirely needed)

Oyster shell (calcium, free feed)

Grit

Salt

Probiotic (or feed them fermented dairy foods like kefir or yogurt, or fermented vegetables like sauerkraut)

Crab meal (small amounts provide protein and minerals)

Flax seed (omega-3, feed whole to avoid rancidity)

Broad-spectrum mineral supplement

Kelp (mineral source)

Fish meal (helps boost protein and omega-3s)

Cultured yeast (B vitamins, minerals and digestive enzymes)

Healthy bees need good nutrition !

The importance of the right kind of planting

By planting for honey bees we will be providing the three fundamental things that they need, while also supporting other bee species:

1. Nesting sites
2. pollen – protein food
3. Nectar – carbohydrate food

Honey bees cannot survive without all three.  Beekeepers help to provide nesting sites but as trees are felled as soon as they are deemed to be too old we eliminate potential habitats for wild bees to populate.

Pollen and its importance
Pollen is produced by the anther of flowers and is the equivalent of human sperm. Pollen is made up of 6-28% protein, 1-20% fats together with vitamins, starches, sugars and minerals.

This provides the honey bee and other pollinators much needed protein for growth of developing larvae. Adult bees don’t need much but they collect and take it back to feed their larvae.

Worker honey bees secrete brood food to feed to the larvae. A colony of bees require between 15 and 55kg of pollen a year – thats the equivalent of between 7 and 27 bags of sugar!

Nectar, what it is and why bees need it.
Nectar is produced in the nectary bed of the flower which is usually inside the base of the flower, but occasionally externally. It is a sugar solution which contains sugars of various types and includes minerals , proteins, organic acids and vitamins and is used as a carbohydrate to provide energy.

Honey bees take the nectar and turn it into honey by adding enzymes to change the sugar composition and evaporating a lot of the moisture.

One of the most interesting honey bee facts is that each honey bee colony needs up to 120kg of nectar to survive. That’s the same as 60 bags of sugar! This is because the nectar is primarily turned into honey which is used by the colony as winter food when foraging isn’t possible.

Both pollen and nectar levels can vary according to species and time of day and can be affected by the climatic conditions.

What do the plants get out of it?
Through the collection and transference of pollen the plants become pollinated which in turn means that they have the ability to set seed and thereby reproduce. The method of seed dispersal may be through the production of fruit and nuts or pure seed which bursts forth.

For those that produce fruit and nuts, they are reliant on a third party such as birds and mammals to eat and move the seed on, either as a result of being left elsewhere or defecated.

How do honey bees needs differ from other bees?
Due to the fact that Honey bees do not hibernate like all other bees their life span is much longer, in winter a colony of honey bees can be as many as 15,000 strong building up to up to 60,000 in the summer. They store the food unlike others, that use it immediately and create minimal stores for the seasons use as the peak of the colony is much shorter.

Honey bees produce honey to see them through the winter months, learn how you can help them build their stores by becoming a Friend of the Honey Bee.

Some Tips on How to Raise Pigs

1. Of course, the first thing you should consider is your capital.

Do you have enough saved to start a pig farm? How many pigs can you purchase? You can start with just a few pigs. Every time you sell a pig, use some of your earnings to buy more piglets.

2. Another thing you should take care of is where you’ll put your pigs.

You need ample space to keep your pigs. As a general rule, each pig is supposed to have at least 1/10 of an acre of pasture area. This is for grazing pigs. If you plan on building an enclosure, around 100 square feet for each pig is enough. Barns, pig pens, and other enclosures give you more control over the animals. Feeding them will be a lot easier as well as collecting their manure which can be used as fertilizers, another possible source of income. Additionally, pigs in enclosures have more tender meat as compared to grazers which tend to have tougher meat because of the muscles that often develop.

3. Another factor on how to raise pigs is food source.

If you’re keeping pigs for meat, you’ll need to feed them right for them to become bigger, meatier and more profitable. Pigs will eat anything edible. But this does not mean you can feed them anything you can get your hands on. The right pig diet should contain ample amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. If you can, avoid giving them supplements. Get their nutrients from actual food and other organic or natural sources. For grazing pigs, you need to have enough pasture grass around. Plant some if you need to.

4. You should also be aware of what not to feed your pigs.

Raw potatoes are not recommended since they can be poisonous. Raw meat should also be avoided as they may carry bacteria and diseases. Cook or boil them before you give them to your pigs. As a safety precaution, you need to boil everything that you intend to feed them.

5. Food consumption should also be controlled.

One way to know if you are putting too much food in their troughs is to time the feeding. If there is food left after 30 minutes, then that means you are giving them too much. This may lead to overeating which is not good for them. You’ll also lose money because of this. You can also weigh the food. Six pounds is the most you can put in their troughs.

6. One more important tip on how to raise pigs properly is to provide them access to water.

Give them fresh, clean water to drink always. Be prepared to clean their water troughs regularly as pigs like to clean themselves in the water. Troughs made from galvanized iron are usually sturdier and easier to clean so you may want to consider that.

7. Even if you originally planned on keeping pigs for meat, you can still profit from breeding.

You’ll need a farrowing house so you can separate the sows. You can earn more if you sell your piglets. This is also a good way to increase your farm’s pig population.
These tips on raising pigs is only a guide for you to kick off your business venture. Nothing beats experience. As you go along, you will harvest enough knowledge on how to raise pigs which you can use for your pig farm to thrive and provide you with more income.

Types of Potatoes to Try Planting

Potatoes vary in size, shape, color, texture and time to maturity. Maturation time is the most important variable, because potato tubers grow best when soil temperatures range between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Try to get your crop harvested before hot summer temperatures arrive.

Types of Potatoes to Try Planting

Early varieties that mature in less than 90 days are good fits for any garden. Creamy, round ‘Irish Cobbler,’ purple-skinned ‘Caribe,’ and prolific ‘Red Norland’ fall into this group, along with ‘King Harry,’ which is resistant to Colorado potato beetles.

Midseason varieties mature in 100 days or so, and include ‘Yukon Gold’ and ‘Red LaSoda,’ which is often the top-producing potato in warm climates.

Late varieties need 110 days or more of growing time, but they typically produce a heavy set of tubers that keep well in storage. ‘Butte’ is an all-purpose brown-skinned potato that performs well when grown in the Midwest; ‘Katahdin’ and ‘Kennebec’ rule in the Northeast.

Elongated fingerling potatoes vary in their maturation times and come in a range of colors and sizes. None are very early, but late-maturing fingerlings will size up earlier if you pre-sprout the seed potatoes before you plant them.

Top 10 Tips for Keeping Chickens in Winter

For new chicken owners, winter can be a scary time. Will they be warm enough? Will they keep laying eggs? These tips will keep your hens happy and healthy.

1. They don't need a heater.
I've often gotten questions about putting a heater in the chicken coop for winter warmth. My answer: don't do it! Think of all that bedding - you're asking for a fire. Plus, chickens don't need it. They huddle together for warmth. And don't seal up the coop completely. Ventilation is key to prevent moisture buildup.

2. Use deep litter to keep them warm.
The deep litter method is a way of allowing bedding material and chicken poop to build up in the coop over the spring, summer, and fall, so that by winter you have roughly a foot of composting material on the floor of the coop. This composting poop and bedding will give off its own heat, warming the coop naturally.

3. They may not lay unless you supplement light.
Some birds are great layers right through the winter. But in general, supplemental light is required if you want to keep your family or customers in eggs all winter long. However, there are some downsides to supplementing light - it stresses the birds and can shorten their laying life.

4. Feed them corn in the evening to keep them warm all night.
Giving your chickens a nice feeding of cracked corn before bed gives them something to digest during the night, keeping them warmer.

5. Hang a head of cabbage for a chicken play toy.
Just like humans, chickens can get a little bored and stir-crazy in the winter. They sure seem to like it when I hang a head of cabbage on a string in the coop. They go wild pecking at it while it bobs around. It makes me feel like I’m doing something for them, anyway. So try it - keep your hens happy!

6. Make them a nice sunroom.
If you’re worried about your girls not having enough space in the coop, you can build a kind of cold frame or greenhouse style addition to your coop, covering it in clear plastic. They will wander out into it and have a bit more space on nice days, and you can rest easy knowing they aren’t too smushed and are getting some fresh air.

7. Petroleum jelly on combs and wattles protects from frostbite.
In the coldest winter climates, you may find that breeds with large combs and wattles are prone to frostbite. To protect them, you can smear their combs and wattles with petroleum jelly. However, if your chickens do get frostbite, it is usually jsut the tips of the combs that are affected, and they don’t seem to be any worse for the wear - but it can look a little icky.

8. Chickens don’t like snow.
Generally speaking, once temperatures are in the 20 degree F range, chickens (mine, anyway) won’t walk out onto snow. You can scatter hay or straw on the ground and this will make it more palatable for them.

9. Chickens don’t have to be put inside in bad weather.
They know what to do. If they don’t want to be outdoors, they will head in to the coop. Just let them do what they want. They are hardier than you might think, and aren’t as averse to cold as people often think they are. Don’t waste your time and energy trying to shoo them indoors in the rain or snow.

10. Roosts are key.
Chickens will roost together and fluff themselves out. This is what keeps them warm. It also keeps them off the cold ground. So make sure you have plenty of space for all your chickens to comfortably roost (check on them in the evening with a flashlight - if someone’s on the ground, there’s not enough space). Roosts should be at least two feet off the ground.

Most Popular Tomato Varieties to Grow in the Home Garden

The most popular tomato varieties got that way with good reason.

 Some are easy to grow. Others have excellent disease resistance or be particularly flavorful or offer outstanding production … or all of the above!

With thousands of varieties to choose from, it can be hard to decide which tomatoes to grow in your garden.

Check out this list of most popular tomato varieties as chosen by your fellow tomato growers online!

Most Popular Tomato Varieties: 
Hybrid Tomatoes

Better Boy Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 75 days, red, beefsteak (12-16 ounces), resistance: VFN
Big Beef Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 73 days, red, beefsteak (10-12 ounces), resistance: VFFNTA; 1994 All-America Selections Winner
Big Boy Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 78 days, red, beefsteak (10-16 ounces), resistance: A
Celebrity Tomato
Hybrid, determinate, 70 days, red, globe (8-12 ounces), resistance: VFFNTA
Early Girl Tomato icon
Hybrid, indeterminate, 50-52 days, red, globe (8 ounces), resistance: VFF
Grape Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 60 days, brilliant red, elongated cherry tomatoes, resistance: FSA
Independence Day Tomato (Fourth of July Tomato)
Hybrid, indeterminate, 49 days, red, small (4 ounces)
Jersey Tomato (Rutgers Tomato)
Hybrid, determinate, 75 days, bright red, globe (6-8 ounces), resistance: VFA
Juliet Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 60 days, red, elongated cherry (1 ounce), resistance: cracking; 1999 All-America Selections Winner
Sunsugar Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 62 days, orange, cherry, resistance: FT, cracking

Most Popular Tomato Varieties: 
Heirlooms (open-pollinated tomatoes)

Amish Paste Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 85 days, red, paste tomato (8 ounces)
Black Krim Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 69-80 days, red/brown, beefsteak (16 ounces), resistance: FN
Brandywine Tomatoes
Heirloom, indeterminate, 69-80 days, pink, beefsteak (16+ ounces), resistance: F
Cherokee Purple Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 69-80 days, purple/brown/black, beefsteak (16 ounces)
Green Zebra Tomato
Heirloom, determinate, 78 days, green, small (3 ounces)
Mortgage Lifter Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 85 days, pink, beefsteak (16-24 ounces)
San Marzano Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 85 days, red/pink, plum (4 ounces)
Yellow Pear Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 71 days, bright yellow, pear-shaped cherry (1 ½” round)