Do you feed alfalfa meal? This was an interesting article. Even though it is about peafowl, thought I'd share. I'm thinking of trying. Quite interesting info about calcium levels.
http://www.peafowl.org/articles/captive ... ird-diets/
Alfalfa meal
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Any advice in this section should not be taken to overrule advice by a certified licensed veterinarian. You should always consult a veterinarian for treatment or diagnoses of animal disease or injury. The information in this thread is simply the experience of board members and is not to be taken as a substitution for veterinary advice or treatment.
Any advice in this section should not be taken to overrule advice by a certified licensed veterinarian. You should always consult a veterinarian for treatment or diagnoses of animal disease or injury. The information in this thread is simply the experience of board members and is not to be taken as a substitution for veterinary advice or treatment.
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Jaye
- Poultry Guru - chick level
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Re: Alfalfa meal
Where do you even get alfalfa meal?
I've read several anecdotal articles saying that it's a good thing to supplement feed with alfalfa in the winter because it encourages a better rate of lay, but no scientific study results. This is the first article I've seen that references its conclusions to a scientific article. I did toy with the idea of trying alfalfa, but then couldn't find any except in pelleted form in large bags, so forgot about it.
I've read several anecdotal articles saying that it's a good thing to supplement feed with alfalfa in the winter because it encourages a better rate of lay, but no scientific study results. This is the first article I've seen that references its conclusions to a scientific article. I did toy with the idea of trying alfalfa, but then couldn't find any except in pelleted form in large bags, so forgot about it.
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Epona
- Starting to Crow
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Re: Alfalfa meal
I haven't looked yet to source it at the local feed stores. I give them a flake of 2nd cut hay once and awhile in the winter. Thought the meal might be a bit cleaner to do. Plus, I was thinking of putting a bit on the chicks' feed as a green supplement.
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Re: Alfalfa meal
Any feed mill that makes rabbit pellets uses alfalfa meal. They should make you up a bag if you ask. Rabbit pellets themselves are usually no more than 30% alfalfa meal.
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Re: Alfalfa meal
I would use only plain alfalfa pellets - rabbit pellets could have salt and other additives. The alfalfa pellets I bought here were large and really hard (they were made for horses). I tried to smash them but that didn't work. I soaked them in water until they started to come apart, but the chickens didn't really eat it. I put it in their feeder and it made the feed wet. The other thing I tried is to soak them in some yogurt until they softened. The chickens liked them that way. If you get actual meal, not pellets, they might eat it better if it's mixed with yogurt or something. If it's a dry powder would they eat it?
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Epona
- Starting to Crow
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Re: Alfalfa meal
We just got second cut done. So I swept all the chaff off the wagons, to the "your nuts" comments from my husband. I even raked all the chaff up under the loader. I've now got 3 feed bags full and the chicks love it. So I wonder too how granular the meal is. When I run out of this stuff, I'll have to get serious and check at the mill.
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