Author Topic: looking at planting a bit of alfalfa?  (Read 2947 times)

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Offline mamapoppybee

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looking at planting a bit of alfalfa?
« on: January 07, 2015, 11:09:49 am »
So I am thinking about making afew rows of alfalfa this year to help with bee feed. Im wondering if i can feed to the chickens after flowering since i dont have any larger grass feeding live stock? Has any one done or thought about this.

Offline riverbee

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Re: looking at planting a bit of alfalfa?
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2015, 03:48:01 pm »
we have planted alfalfa, buckwheat and trying to restore some of the land with pollinator plants (more the just a few rows though).  the bees are all over it.  i don't have chickens, so i can't answer the question about feeding the alfalfa to the chickens......
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: looking at planting a bit of alfalfa?
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2015, 09:26:51 pm »
Your chickens will LOVE you for giving them some forage. Alfalfa will be fine, buckwheat may not be as good.. ANimals can tolerate it in small amounts, but as I understand it, buckwheat causes problems with resisting the SUNS effects?
   Even just grass clippings from your lawn mower will have your chickens running about pecking like crazy..   Yes, you can give them alfalfa cuttings..   Come fall, I often give them corn, beans, Tomatoes, and everything that's left over from the garden,and they eat it like candy!!!    Egg laying usually gets a boost too!
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Offline Ray4852

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Re: looking at planting a bit of alfalfa?
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2015, 12:37:04 pm »
Try it you have nothing to loose. Try planting something the bees can pollinate during the summer like dutch clover, or sweet clover. I use to grow my own turkeys and chickens for food. I stopped doing it because the corn got to be to expensive to grow them myself. Its cheaper now for a big farmer to grow them for me. I fed my birds fine cracked corn.