Let’s Talk About This || Feeding Animals On Less

The cost of feeding our animals has been rising steadily for awhile now, and we have been experimenting this last year with fodder systems and crops to keep our feed costs down and in house.
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[@lattelolly6925]

One thing we do is grow LOTS & LOTS of black Oil sunflowers. I Plant them all along the fence of the chicken house & run for shade & later food. They are along our driveway & fence lines, garden edges, anywhere it won't shade something out. As the flower petals fall off we cut them off the heads and lay them out on boards under a covered patio to dry for a few days. Then into boxes. Don't want them to mold! Provides good protein for chickens & pigs & they love it. They also love the stocks and leaves. Then we save seed for next year. Many will come up volunteer also & transplant well if needed. Been doing that for over 30 years. & They are So beautiful. 😍😍

[@pamelaremme38]

Just started cutting the heads off today. I threw the greens in the chicken yard and they even love to peck at the thick stock. Cut it open and they have a feast. Will be setting them to dry tomorrow. Ran out of time today.

[@maryarcher8484]

When I was a kid my mother always fed the chickens table food. Corn bread biscuits, any meat we may have had

[@kimsmith5471]

Same here. Grew a ton for the chickens. They tear up stalks , eat leaves.

[@Userxyz-z2d]

Rabbits love sunflower leaves too

[@Sandramce60]

You should be able to learn to grow your own animal feed off of these people that been doing it for years. And may i suggest why not try and plant what your buying for seeds just to see if it grows its just a suggestion i was thjnking about it if i had chickens that i like to get.

[@chughes-lv3oe]

My Mother was the youngest child with four older brothers, her name was Annie but I never heard anyone in our family call her anything other than Sister or Sis, she was even Aunt Sis to the nieces and nephews. She's been gone a long time now, but every time you say Sister I think of her. Thanks for reminding me of sweet memories.

[@shannonhestand5803]

My moms sister is called Sister. Her name is actually Gladys.

[@josephmiller4911]

My mother name is Alma, but everyone calls her Sis as well.

[@aa37988]

This reminded me of my father who was Uncle Bubba to his nieces and nephews.

[@domesti-city]

My grandfather called all of his seven daughters Sister or Sis, and it became a term of endearment. I love to hear them call little sister Sis!

[@qismyfavoriteuncle9856]

My grandmother had 3 sisters, nicknamed Girlie, Sissy & Sister🤣🤣

[@bettypearson5570]

I grew up on a subsistence farm. While we never bought feed for any of our animals it doesn't mean they didn't get some grain in the winter when we would run out of other things, but that is a totally different story for another time. 🤐🤐🤐 But all of the birds did love cabbage, squashes, dandelions, grass, going into the pig pen to clean it of bugs, all kinds of garden waste, etc. While we had our own fruit trees which provided all of our fruit needs, lots of other people did also and there were many who would let most of theirs just rot rather than pick it. Grandpa would drop us off to "clean" the trees for them. We had hundreds of chicken, ducks and geese because we not only raised them for our own meat and egg needs but they also provided income. While I have absolutely no intentions of raising anything near that many birds I do want to come as close as I can to not having to purchase feed. One thing I am planning on starting a black soldier fly farm to supplement along with growing an abundance of pumpkins and winter squash. Also, why don't you put all the cornstalks through the chipper shredder now so the chickens can make use of the nutrients before it completely dries up? Another thing to check out is if there are farms around that do the whole pumpkin patch thing in October contact one or two and find out what they are doing with pumpkins they don't sell. They may allow you to take whatever you want. Or going along those lines, you may want to put an add on craigslist, local bulletin boards or even contact a local radio station just before Halloween to let people know that if they put their pumpkins on the curb the day after or whatever date after Halloween you will pick them up for free. You could possibly end up with quite a few pumpkins for not only chickens but also pigs and even cows like pumpkins. Good luck.

[@amykinnell2837]

A friend of mine got a whole pallet of leftover pumpkins from Lowes one year doing just what you suggested.

[@bettypearson5570]

@@amykinnell2837 there's a lot of seasonal food like that thrown away and uncut pumpkins have a great shelf life in the winter.

[@loritanner4478]

But if you are trying to raise your animals organic. Like Ben is. Not all pumpkins are raised that way. So you would have to ask for organic ones.

[@torg5511]

Suggestion from an old warehouseman, stack your feed sacks on the pallet so they don't make tall, unstable towers that may fall over. Rotate each layer 90° to interlock the layers so they are much less likely to fall on someone. Looking at your sacks dimensions you might only get two rotated and one parallel to the lower layer. In that case put the rotated in the next layer over the parallel sack. It might save a nuisance mess, scare, or unneeded injury. Looking forward to your feeding your livestock from your land. Great experiment and adventure. Best hopes for your sucess!

[@Userxyz-z2d]

They seem to be behind the learning curve. But Im pulling for them! Im from SoCal too.

[@kerlyn3582]

I really want to congratulate you Ben on this video ... I watch so many of these homesteading videos and I often wonder about this very thing - the cost of feeding the animals versus just buying your meat / milk /eggs / poultry ... etc from the store. I get that it is far healthier to grow it yourself as apposed to buying it from who knows where. I feel many of the homestead youtubers doing vlogs do not cover this and it is like the 'elephant in the room' to me because feeding yourself and the animals you have, off the land you have, is 'the truth' or the real 'self sustaining' homestead.

[@Userxyz-z2d]

Exactly! You hit the nail on the head. Homesteading is supposed to be self sufficiency. Food in bags is just FAST FOOD.

[@eaccristo]

I’ve downsized my animals tremendously since my husband passed. That being said… I want to grow mealworms. Chicken treats. That might be a fun idea for the boys. You’ll figure this out Ben. You are motivated and a healthy young man with terrific helpers.

[@sandyc6569]

😊👍

[@betharechiga6858]

I always leave a little feed in a tub get it wet once (a little) and bam full of mealworms!!

[@krickette5569]

I grow meal worms and enjoy the process. They are pretty simple to grow and the start up cost is nominal.

[@phatmeemaw6322]

Yep before chronic illness hit me hard and my dumb butt husband left me for a girl our daughters age, this was my goal! Meal worms for sure, and I do love my meat, but I pulled back on eating so much, and seriously didn't miss it. Meg is an awesome cook, and I AM SURE she could too. That means less grass, less feed because you have a little less animal, and surprisingly just a little more veg to grow, hardly enough to notice. You would seriously be suprised.

[@betharechiga6858]

@@krickette5569 So how do you deal with the adults to get them to lay more eggs? they are moths right?

[@cosmicbackwoods]

I figured out a chicken fodder hack if anyone wants to try it. I had a ton of purslane come up in all my pots and my chickens went crazy over it, well I figured out that they only eat the leaves and when I pulled the pots back out of the coop the plants regrew all their leaves and a few days later were ready again. ive just been throwing one pot in a day and rotating. here in texas its one of the only things that wants to grow so im letting it lol

[@sweetearthfarm]

Smart! Observation and experimentation. The way its been done since the beginning of time.

[@BigggRoss]

Try building a 2x box over it with hardware cloth to keep them from scratching it out of the ground

[@Userxyz-z2d]

Excellent job! Our forefathers & mothers didnt buy feed!

[@peterellis4262]

This reminds me of another option for growing nutritious feed. Duckweed! Grows phenomenally fast and is very good food value.

[@marissashelley2362]

I was waiting to see Buggy come through the door carrying 2 bags of feed...one on each shoulder!!! 🤣😁👼

[@betsystone5733]

N. Florida, back in the ‘70’s, I grew up on an old unused tobacco farm. We had about 15-20 chickens, a mule for plowing, a couple steers toraise for meat, and a boar, sow and a few feeder pigs to raise for meat. We were money poor. Fortunately there was about 1 and a half acres of fenced pasture for them to graze. Daddy grew about 1/2 to 1 acre of corn every year. When it was fresh, we ate corn on the cob. Then we let it dry on the stalk, pick it and put it in the corn crib. Daddy made a box on legs with a hand cranked corn sheller bolted to the side. I spent HOURS shucking and shelling that corn to feed the animals every day. Once in a while, Daddy would load the bed of his truck with unshucked corn, take it to the feed mill, and have it ground up with some blackstrap molasses added and the steers and feeder pigs would have that. That was all we fed our animals. Well, when the garden was done they got the bushes and such, but that was it. It still amazes me the variety of things that folks feed their animals nowadays.

[@ritamccartt-kordon283]

I am amazed at the variety and expense of what most of the young families feed there animals. Our family raised chickens and pigs. As a kid my Mother, who raised 8 children by herself, always put the pig pens under Oak trees. Pigs love acorns! Free feed. We didn't process meat chickens, although I do now, when we wanted chicken we went out and cleaned one for supper. The chickens were allowed to sit on their eggs, all of the Roosters were canned for winter. Roosters were culled during winter too, as they got big enough to eat. We didn't own a freezer, so it wasn't an option for us. We also had any produce from the garden and leftovers. GOD bless

[@jackiebinns6205]

I completely agree

[@camicri4263]

Yes, my grandma did the same. Si didn't have a big yard but she had fruit trees and vegetables and grapes, chickens, Turkey and pig maybe so others that I don't remember. Never bought feed and definitely no kibbles for the dog and the cat....left over food and what ever else she grew. My aunt's little dog ate everything they ate and lived 17 years.

[@Userxyz-z2d]

Everyone is amazed my dogs live to be 15! They eat what I eat. Wen i was a kid, dogs lived to be 18 with good health. Nowadays they live 1/2 that! Is it all the Vaxes, store bot food? IDK. I just kno its different. Also, 50 yrs ago rabbits ate alfalfa and lawn grass. Now my dtr tells me rabbits will die eating those bc they are too rich! Now its Timothy hay which has less nutrients. Times hav changed.

[@anitalee3289]

I agree! I don't remember my grandparents EVER buying any kind of "feed" but they had chickens, cows, pigs, etc. They had an orchard and the animals would get tons of food from that, acorns, and sunflowers, and LOTS of corn, etc. I remember pulling weeds in the field and giving them to the animals to eat, my grandpa drying corn for winter, shucking corn and giving the cobs and husks to the animals. The chickens free ranged and ate all over the farm, especially bugs and larva, berries, dropped fruit in the orchard. We've spoiled our animals to the point that chickens will stop laying if they don't get their "feed" but they will eventually start laying again once they get used to it and it becomes the norm.

[@ingridskitchengarden]

I’ve done a little experiment with this the past month. I have 10 hens and 1 rooster in one pen. I feed the chickens and gather eggs late afternoon 3ish just because of my schedule. I give them one scoop of feed 2 qts I believe daily. I’ve noticed they prefer to eat scraps over feed. Days I have given them more scraps which I haven’t weighed but I’m going to start. The amount of feed left the following day is considerable. What I’m trying to get at is, I’m trying to figure out how many pounds of scraps I need to replace feed. I know it’s not exactly what your asking but it’s something I’ve been trying out. I also give them hay/grass I harvest and water there chicken yard. My next plan is to add logs in the yard and flip them over so they can eat the worms. A good channel to watch is Edible Acers. They have a great composting and feeding system for their flock. 🐥. My favorite breed is bielefelder chicken dual purpose I had a hen hatch out 20 eggs 19 survived and half were roosters. We putt them i a chicken tractor. She raised them which is great. So they are foraging day one. We also fed them flick raiser. In about a month mama wants out. We left all chicks together. As soon as the roosters start crowing we pull the hens. The roosters stay together until harvest 20/22 weeks. Super simple system. It’s something to think about.

[@peterellis4262]

I suggest you look into "tree hay", a traditional means of feeding livestock through the winter. Mulberry leaves are high in protein, plus they fruit for a long season. Plant some where the fruit will fall into your chicken run and they'll feed themselves with no further effort on your part. Black Soldier Fly larvae are another source of protein and fats for your chickens and they'll thrive on garbage - they'll eat manure, turning it into healthy feed. Your climate is warm enough for growing them and keeping a colony alive year round. You can dry them for winter feeding when they are not actively reproducing.

[@SarHje]

Absolutley agree … you are currently clearing land of leave trees. Try pruning them first and hang to dry. Read up on which give the best vitamins. Harvested early in the season, before midsummer, you can rely on less quality (cheaper?) bought feed

[@goldengryphon]

@@SarHje Not much of a cheaper source, these days. I changed to the TSC brand chicken feed because costs just got too high otherwise. A lot of the trees he's culling are weak pines and I don't think much can survive on those. I agree with you on the mulberry. Fantastic trees and I wish I had planted mine eariler!

[@peterellis4262]

@@goldengryphon Agreed that the pines won't do for tree hay, but numerous others will. Cherry is an absolute No, BTW, as it rapidly produces cyanide as the leaves wither! But willow is good, locusts are good, redbud us good. Loads of good options that may be present or can be introduced. Amaranth is a pseudograin that's extremely nutritious for humans and livestock, and highly productive.

[@pikehomestead]

@@peterellis4262 one of the few things doing well in our first garden this year has been amaranth, even though we're a bit north for it to do really well. We have a volunteer breed popping up everywhere though, I'll have to see how the chickens and goats like it. Thanks for the tips though, gives me lots to think about as we get set up here.

[@ritamccartt-kordon283]

I was told by an old timer that you could use Mulberry leaves to WORM Horses. I wonder if it would worm other animals? I never felt the need to research it, as I don't have horses. GOD bless

[@lucasrizor3251]

Don’t underestimate the feed potential of the greens attached to your vegetables. Pigs and chickens will eat that up. Those cornstalks for example, if you run those through a chipper you can feed to your cows as is or you can silage it for longer term storage. But cows eat up cornstalks.

[@Userxyz-z2d]

Cows used to always get into the corn!

[@felicitywoodruffe4087]

I'm sure I have seen Danny from deep south homestead feed corn stalks to his cows.sadly he lost all his corn this year ,twice.All that hard work .....

[@loraineleuschke4186]

I like how you just try to see what works and what does not, you learn on your own and you become expert at what you learn. You guys are just a hoot and a half. That Bug just makes me laugh. She is like her Dad she tries things to see what she can and cannot do and then she registers it in that sharp brain of hers’. Go Hollars Go!👍🏼👏👌

[@Silvermoonhomestead]

The work around for broilers is to raise a dual purpose breed and hatch your own. A good dual purpose breed that can forage on their own.

[@ALee-xf2vm]

My uncle raised pigs when I was young. He sold them to people locally. He fed them almost exclusively from school cafeteria scraps. There were "scraps" barrels and "trash" barrels in the cafeterias and he would drive around to several schools every day to pick up the scraps barrels and drop off by emptied (and cleaned) ones.

[@teresafisher3139]

Mine did the same thing....but also had a bucket for milk that the kids didn't drink. That always made them grow...and the best part was...it was totally free!

[@Userxyz-z2d]

Thats right! We dumped our milk into a barrel and food scraps into another one. Forgot about that!

[@Sammysam44]

Your comment just reminded me of something I saw on TV where a pig farmer would get all scraps from Las Vegas all u can eat places, built his own conveyor belt so hired hands could look thru scraps and toss non edible items and he fed his entire farm on that!

[@ALee-xf2vm]

@@teresafisher3139 yes! I had forgotten about that, but they did pour the milk in, too.

[@peterellis4262]

I believe there have been some regulatory changes that prohibit this today. You can, of course, do it at home, but collecting from the schools is out. Ages ago when my family lived in Nashville, the municipal trash collection was divided between inedible trash and edible garbage. The garbage went to hog farms.

[@gwynethgrove772]

Sunflowers, corn, beets are all great replacement feeds. Kitchen and garden scraps for pigs and foraging chickens. Improving year on year is a big achievement, you’ve built a home, run a business, grow and feed your family, home school and run a channel too… that’s amazing.

[@meolson9197]

Animals on my property: First: I only keep a small flock of chickens year round for eggs. I have a cow milk share. I keep the animal pressure low and do without variety. In my area, I watch the feed stores and pick up the broilers I can when they are too big to be cute at half price (and fed for a month). I put them in with my chickens and feed them longer (12 weeks). They still get big on my ration. I don’t feed pelleted feed. I mix 1 part oats/wheat with one part corn. I soak this in the whey from the milk share. It adds protein. I often get the wheat free from Mormon families moving that don’t want to take their wheat and it’s old to them and they want fresh. My birds get greens from the garden and the house and I raise the broilers at a time when greens are available. They also get leftovers from a micro green farm year round. I don’t get bent out of shape to worry if they have food always available. I’m not producing for anyone but me and if we have plenty, they have plenty and if not and egg production goes down a little then I don’t eat eggs for breakfast. I’m still going to the feed store for corn and oats but I stock up when it’s a good price and keep my eye on broken bag deals or farmers selling it in my area. I’m feeding less than 20 birds. Less is more but don’t waste anything. Develop supply lines outside the commercial suppliers. Brewers, greenhouse waste, farmers. Also - this winter I will again sprout wheat grass for fodder. Chickens prefer any real food to pellets. Broilers too.

[@dorisgreenberg2811]

As a senior grandma type person who has always had chickens for the eggs basically, I’m thinking the drop in egg laying could be due to the hot weather. Mine always drop when they spend a lot of their time walking around with their wings held out to get cooler. Feed that is too rich can produce too much heat. I’ve been cutting way back on feed and making sure they get out into the shaded yard here and foraging for themselves. They still pant in heat but don’t cut back as bad when they are free ranging most of their feed. They like to visit under the bird feeders where the birds fling what they are not interested in. Well, that’s my two cents. I start feeding abit of scratch closer to winter, there is more corn in that and it will bring about more body heat when they will need it.

[@HilltopFarmHomestead]

There's no doubt that we've cut our feed bill but we don't have the time or space to get rid of the feed store completely. Having said that, I've just found out that if we return the feed bags in perfect condition to our feed store, we can get them refilled for $5 Australian less than a new bag. How good is that and why have they only just told me? Ask the question at your feed store. You never know!

[@dorisgreenberg2811]

Oh my, we tried to grow most of our animal food when I was a child on our little farm. Dad used snowfence to make a circular area for chopped corn, sileage. It really didn’t cure into the best feed til we used a silo on the farm me and my husband had. I loved the smell of the good sileage. I think it’s a type of fermented food for the cows. The corn ears were harvested and dried in the corn crib, designed to dry the corn on the cobs. We had a corn shelled to take the corn off the cob. However time consuming, the corn on the cob was often just tossed in for the pigs to shuck themselves. Our pigs loved to be headed into the pasture to forage acorns when we didn’t have feed . It tided them over til dad could bring home feed. We wet mashed our pigs. The feed had water added til it was the consistency of oatmeal. Then dumped into home made troughs. They didn’t need as much water since that was bucketed to them. Boy I miss the good ole farm life! I’m 84 and I have many memories of how to feed with what we had.

[@maryknittel1266]

I was raised on a farm and my Dad had the local garbage hauler, who picked from restaurants, dump it in our pig fields and that is how we fed our pigs, plus we raised field corn. Of course, that was many years ago, I'm 83, and there was no plastic products at that time. For many, many years our silverware we used in our home was supplied from left-overs in the field. 😀 May God bless you in your endeavors.

[@tammyt870]

Have you considered a fodder system? You may not eliminate the feed store, but you can turn a 50 lb bag of feed wheat or barley into 200+ pounds of fodder. We fed our chickens entirely on black oil sunflower seeds sprouted in a simple fodder system that cost us less than $50 to set up. Your milk cow will definitely eat fodder.

[@jeanrichards8042]

I was thinking this same thing. I watched some KZbin videos on that very topic. Depending on the system size, it may be enough to help get through the winter with the cow. My only concern would be the cost of the seeds as those, along with everything else, have surely gone up in price. I would hope it would at least help to significantly reduce the total amount of feed that needs to be purchased. Good luck, Hollars... and good on ya for tackling this issue and trying to find a solution, I'm sure you will!

[@maryhysong]

Here in the desert water is a big issue so I haven't tried to eliminate the feed bill. But I used to live in E TX on 1/2 acre. I raised meat rabbits intensively in hanging cages (too many predators to be on the ground, also disease issues) But summer required weekly mowing so some feed replaced by grass/bramble/clover clippings. I raised red worms in beds under the rabbit cages and used the castings several inches deep to help the sandy soil in the garden. In the process I harvested several pounds of worms each week which became a high protein feed for the chickens (pigs would probably also like them). I could go into some woods adjoining my property which was being cleared for a housing development anyway and cut all the pine saplings and brambles I wanted to feed my goats and of course garden surplus / waste went to any animal that would eat it from carrot tops to corn stalks. spoiled milk, cheese whey went mostly to the chickens, hardest egg shells ever!. Another thing to look at would be more trellises; I love my cattle panel archways and put them wherever I can and grow all climbers on them from beans to squash to tomatoes. Another one; my goats and chickens love Swiss chard and it does well even in summer here and of course one planting goes for a long time. I'm sure it will be a gradual thing for you to replace the feed store.

[@paulaelves5179]

sketch is a true master cat....loyalty to no-one haha xxx

[@Junkinsally]

If you look at any “old time” farm, they all had a “corn crib” where they stored dried field corn for the animals. Back in the day it was just a wooden shed with a slatted wall for ventilation. You can build a modern version with just coil of fencing with a lid on it. To get more corn from a smaller footprint, don’t sow in rows, sow in blocks. You have plenty of space for more blocks of “feed gardens”. Grow the corn, sunflowers and pumpkins anywhere you can. Pumpkin grow easily and store longer than squash. I have successfully kept chickens on just sunflower seeds, pumpkins and food scraps. I have found with chickens if you don’t start them on corn and soy you can feed them other things. Once they get a taste for corn…..there is no going back. They always act hungry even though they have full crops!

[@goldengryphon]

Corn is pure sugar, effectively. It's one of hte reasons everything likes to eat it. I use it as a daily treat to get my birds to eat the "good for them" portion of their feed. I have been letting them free range, which is possible for me, but I know it's not possible for everyone. I'm also playing with the idea of growing more of their feed. Moringa, kale, mangels, millet, legumes of some sort - I'm looking at it all and trying to figure out where to grow what. I grew up with older relatives growing money crops for pay and having a large family garden, but critters were fed out of the corn crib. As an adult, I can't imagine keeping rodents out of something like that, unless the chickens do it for you?

[@melissadean7471]

I used to play in corn cribs as a child. Wow I’m old. Haha

[@peterellis4262]

@@goldengryphon Keeping rodents out of the corn crib: Wire mesh stops some. Chickens eat mice. Pigs are also omnivores and they're plenty big enough to eat rats. Barn cats. Terrier type dogs. And if the corn is for feeding to the animals anyway, a bit of rodent poop in there isn't that big a deal. ;)

[@denisewilson8367]

Corn is Chemicals, GMO is the only corn seed available, that won't kill you price wise. That's why homesteaders are looking for alternatives to feed their animals. To get away from feeding those chemicals to their family. And soy is not good for your body either. So not corn or soy in their animals food/ which feeds the family no Chemicals or soy.

[@denisewilson8367]

You better hang onto EVERY 🥔 potato you can get. There is a massive potato shortage. Most of the farmers markets are completely out of potatoes & don't expect to get anymore until next year's harvest. The past 3 years potatoes have had a large fail rate due to ants & weather.

[@sroberts605]

I'm saving this video for all the superb and varied suggestions in the comments! I think variety is the key to surviving less-than-optimum crops year to year.

[@tracygarns9611]

There is an excellent chapter on feeding poultry in Harvey Ussery's book, "The Small Scale Poultry Flock." The big need is protein. He uses soldier fly larvae. He also hangs carcasses in buckets. The maggots crawl out and the birds eat them. It sounds gross and smelly. We supplement our chickens with the milk from our goats and food scraps. They rotate around an 8 acre pasture. We don't use much store bought feed and they lay well.

[@shelleypoole6415]

You should check out your local grocery stores. Maybe they can put aside the produce and spoiled meat for you instead of just throwing it all away.

[@Carol-bk1ro]

Good Evening beautiful Hollar's!

[@MynewTennesseeHome]

I'm facing the same dilemmas. What I've done is find a base grain product that I can use for everyone (chickens, goats, rabbits) and then getting some extras for each. I get an organic non GMO 6way scratch grain from the mennonite as my base and add sunflower seed, oats and wheat. I ferment the poultry feed using whey from cheese making and make sure they all have gobs of prime forage. I'm growing a "ton" of sunflowers and attempting to grow corn, oats and buckwheat. I spend about $600/yr for 5-9 goats, 30'ish chickens and 3-10 rabbits. I'd like that closer to $0.

[@Chuck1929]

Ben, have you ever heard of a corn knife? My dad said it was a heavy curved knife, very sharp that laced into a boot so that someone could kick and cut down corn stalks. My aunt would clear an acre of corn for 5 cents during the depression using one.

[@peterellis4262]

Tractor Supply sells a corn knife, but it definitely is not that ;) I have two and find them very useful tools, but again, not laced to my boot ;)

[@BroqueCowgirlHomestead]

I am in the process of making a series of videos that may totally eliminate having to buy chicken feed about 9 months out of the year. Possibly more.

[@tracyguillemette6255]

cocuzzis are actually gourds, people tend to eat them when they are small, yellow squash size, but full grown like you have will be great for animals. Try growing trombocinis for people and animals, they taste like butternut, but all the seeds are in the bulb but the long 5 ft neck is buttery flesh - we stored these in the basement for a year! still delish!

[@margaretbedwell3211]

I hope you get some great information on what others might have done successfully. I think y'all are to be commended on what you do grow, and preserve as well as what you eat each day. You have done a superb job this year. You might check with the produce dept of your closest grocery store to see if you can get the produce they toss every day. Maybe you could provide them some type of bin to put it in and you could collect it a couple of times a week. Not sure if that is cost effective given gas prices these day. But it something to mull over. Y'all have a Blessed day and Kudos to your boys for unloading all that feed. Great job.

[@MrJcalvino]

I remember a Justin Rhodes video about a man that did what you explained. He collected food scraps from business and raised a ton of hens on just that. No need for grain.

[@poosmate]

The problem with that is they wouldn't know what they are getting. They could end up feeding all the GMO and non organic food they are homesteading to get away from to their animals. That being the case, they may as well cut their feed bill by buying the cheaper GMO/Non organic feed.

[@Gabi-lt4mx]

@@MrJcalvino maybe Edible Acres Sean & Sascha?

[@hickoryhillinthebigwoods-r759]

We tried cutting back on feed by soaking. We went from 2 dozen eggs to none. It took ten days to get them laying again by giving them full rations. Our goats and sheep do not get feed unless on milk stand. We bought a mower, rake, and baler to fit our Kubota, and started baling our own "pastures" on the back 2/3 of our property (we have forty acres, mostly wooded) We are working on getting fencing up in order to allow the animals access to more of the woods, but that takes time. Rotating pastures helps, for sure! We don't have enough scraps from the table and kitchen to cut back on chicken and turkey feed. This week, we decided to let them free range. I have a dozen turkeys all over the place as well as nearly 50 chickens walking all over the property, but they are content. I look forward to seeing the difference in the yolks. Feed doesn't provide those beautiful gold yolks. I have noticed my goats loved turnips and I have heard that pigs and other animals do as well. That might be a quick easy way to grow feed. Sunflowers for chickens and turkeys, but quail are afraid of the flowers (sunflower seeds at the store have skyrocketed in price). We don't do broilers, but do dual purpose hens. Broilers suck up feed and cost a fortune. Just a few ideas.. I do love the book you mentioned. I bought it several years ago at the HOA convention in Virginia.

[@goldengryphon]

I started soaking and partially fermenting my feed just this summer. It took some fiddling, but I was able to cut back about a third by letting it soak/ferment for a day. My birds never skipped a beat but they're older and have been free-ranging for years. I agree, they lay the best eggs if they keep the habit of laying in the coop! I can't tell you about all the secret nests we find, including one hen who surprised us with hatching out chicks! Not everyone can free-range, and we do have some intermittant problems with dogs or wild predators, but that's why we have live traps and 2A rights. Sunflowers are outrageous - $30 for 50 lbs! Not worth it. I can give them high protein dog food for about half the price and they like it better as a treat! These days, with trouble up ahead, it's finding the best solution for you and yours. Agree on the birds, too. Dual purpose wins for us. Slower to grow, but meat keeps forever if you keep it alive; you just have to feed it. I don't need a big freezer for a year's worth of chicken, just a big enough coop and lots of grass clippings!

[@gracesoule3754]

Soaking your feed and not allowing it to firment will do as you described but as the comment that was already posted says if it's fermented it seems to work really well. We've been able to cut back our feed by at least 20%.

[@goldengryphon]

@@gracesoule3754 Every little bit I don't have to feed helps!

[@debbiemoore9069]

@@gracesoule3754 check out homestead family they do a 3 day bucket system to ferment their feed for their animals

[@christiscamelotgardens47]

You don't have to own all of the land that you utilize! Could you partner with some of your neighbors including maybe Jason and Lorraine? You could lease land to grow crops on from them in exchange for in exchange for a share of the crops or a percentage of the meat that you grow

[@revonda5204]

I was thinking along these lines, but thought about you renting land to grow 6-10 acres of corn. In my area of SW Virginia near Roanoke, it's often done by even large farm owners. The rent is usually minimal. Then I thought about sharing with a homesteader near you & remembered Jason and Loraine have moved closer to you. They would probably be willing to share in the food produced for his animals, too. It would be great to get to know an older farmer that has done this & learn from him or her the processes. It used to be done all the time. My husband's family did this and raised corn all over this county. I believe most was turned to silage...fermented food for the cows, too! 😂🤣🤣 We are way past the age & physical ability to do a lot of this but love watching you all. 😍👍

[@susanw9630]

You could look in to Jerusalem artichokes as food for both pigs and broilers. There is information on line about the benefits to these animals' health and the best thing is that they are easy to grow perennials and once planted, the edible tubers spread underground. Pigs can dig them up themselves.

[@paigegough6929]

Also I grew the choko over the top of my chicken pen to shade them through summer and the vine dies off over winter, we have a very mild winter in singleton nsw Australia so the vines came back from last year's roots.

[@nutmegknoll]

We allow our feeder beets to grow through an entire season over wintering them. Next year we get seed for the next season as well as the hugest beets to feed livestock. They do a lot of growing up in the top of the soil

[@billierichter1379]

Have you tried soaking/fermenting feed for your broilers? I did it last year starting at 3 weeks old, and it made a tremendous difference. They ate less, drank less (because there was water in the feed), pooped less, stunk less, were much more content, and grew much better.

[@karen1866]

Me too…we fermented organic feed with organic bird seed and grains we raised. We fed this together to both our meat birds and egg layers.

[@zuzannaszmidel2305]

I remember they do ferment chicken feed

[@billierichter1379]

@Ralph, you ok, Man?

[@eaccristo]

When I had different birds I fermented.

[@danuta.]

We grew our 2 pigs on a ton of potatoes we got for free from gleaning at a local farm, and, leftover food from a local college cafeteria. We also grew sunflowers, squash, and a garden. I boiled a huge pot of potatoes for the pigs every day with our own leftovers. It was the most delicious pork I ate to date, 67 years.

[@OMGaNEWBIE]

How about talking to some of your neighbors and doing some crop sharing? Or co-op buying in bulk? Or, grow an area of "cover crops" You can select whatever combo you need. Just seed the area and let it grow on it's own.

[@lindablazier5648]

I love what you all are doing with the animal food. I am the older lady that told you about Bumblebees. One thing I did when my kids raised boilers for 4 H was dry dandelion and plantain for the boilers crush it and it to their food. The chickens were expected to be about 8 lbs. in 6 weeks some of them got even bigger. They had leg problems with growing so fast. So my hack was the weeds. No more leg issues. I also noticed the feed going farther. And we raised one end so they had to walk up hill to eat and we kept the food just high enough they had to reach for it just a bit much less waste and no lazy chickens laying down to eat. Brest blisters were a no no. The other thing was light at night and full choice food. They didn’t have to push and shove to eat. I know chicken tractors are all rage and they are great. So why not try to combine the two ways. A tractor higher on one end to raise the food up. Or something you all are very good at thinking out of the box. The world was not built by Joel and Justin. I like a lot they do to.

[@ladyryan902]

Yes sir I took early retirement last year n rearranged my yard..started growing lettuce n chard in baby pools until I could get gardens started that's for me n chickens..i have a 30ft bed for the chickens it's actually fun knowing I'm feeding the animals..i started a corn amaranth garden across a whole side of fence..grain!! You CAN grow for all of you!! I don't have pigs or a tractor but you can plant an acre for the animals...wishing you absolute luck!!

[@MrsPink64]

When I was a kid, when the corn was done, we ripped out a few plants daily and threw them to the pigs. No silage required.

[@SdW.8]

Something to do to extend your current grain feed is to have it on a 3 day fermentation cycle. Tree hay as another viewer commented is great and check out how to make your own silage. Raising insects like mealworms, is great b/c of the quick lifecycle, low time input and they can be dehydrated for long-term use. I used to raise feeder insects on a massive scale for a large public aquarium and can see doing it for part of the year intensively (such as in winter), then drying them for long term storage, including the following winter season. You can make the bedding from your chipped up trees too. Cool project for kids. Having the kids go out with nets and catch insects during the growing season then drying them, is another idea. I don't know what kind doesn't like netting things outside. Thanks for sharing your journey! Much love from the Midwest US 💖

[@holliwaller2774]

No real experience but down here in Texas with the terrible drought this year, no hay to be found and the hay you can find is $200 a bale, I ended up feeding all the vegetables I grew that was too hot to fruit, to my animals. Really got me thinking about being able to grow my animal's food. I will very much be paying attention and learning along with you as I would like to do this and cut down the animal feed bill as well.

[@lisamadison2671]

There was a program I watched on PBS called 'Wartime Farm"(it's available on Amazon Prime) it's all about how farmer's in England produced all the food the country needed during a time of war. One of the problems they faced was feeding livestock. They had some interesting information on there. Hope this is helpful.

[@amykinnell2837]

I LOVED that series. The pig pens were so interesting to me. Definitely not rotational grazing but their goal was to fatten them up & it did that.

[@richardhajdukiewicz9742]

suggest you grow more corn (this time for your consumption) then use green stalks for sileage for your cows and pigs (you can run them through your wood chipper)

[@kennithompson2398]

Sounds like an awesome goal. A goal that we couldn't do out here. Not when it takes fifty acres for a cow, yes you read that right. I hope you can do it, and if anyone can, it is you and Meg! We just keep doing what we can and making do if we can't. Love your channel and watching the kids grow up in such a wonderful place! God bless you all!!

[@katisme5137]

I have seen homesteading videos where they get wasted foods from restaurants and supermarkets., they work out well.

[@cdogallen7143]

My top plants I use to reduce feed is zucchinis, pumpkins, sunflowers, salad greens (especially kale and chard), and of course DUCKWEED. Duckweed is insane and I highly recommend it. It duplicates every couple days, is high in protein, and super easy to grow. All you basically need is a large surface basin and I use an aerator put in a pvc pipe with holes to disperse the aeration because duckweed doesnt like surface movement. It can also be dried and used as food later, as a mulch or used as fertilizer or compost ingredient. It is incredibly versatile. Good luck!

[@susanw9630]

I've always thought a wormery would be an ideal source of food for chickens and accelerated high quality compost for the garden.

[@kathleenmchalelewis2763]

Pigs can be fed corn or sweet potato silage which would reduce your feed costs making more $ available for chickens.

[@JoJeck]

Kudzu could be a good source of fodder in several ways. Apparently, cows, pigs and chickens can all eat parts of the plant. So you could cut and carry to them or maybe move the pigs into the area you have infested with it. Making silage from kudzu and grass is a thing in the southern states. Another way to increase the feed for your forest hogs would be to plant a cover crop in the area they have cleared once you have thinned the canopy so light reaches the ground. Oats and beans are a good crop that grows fairly quickly. Or you could introduce kudzu into that area as a self spreading fodder. By the time the hogs get back to the area the cover crop could be ready and supplement the feed. Chickens could be fed soldier fly larvae or worms from vermiculture, both of which turn organic matter, including garden waste and animal dung into protein suitable for feeding chickens

[@nutmegknoll]

Our Cornish crosses are nearly four months old fed 90%food scraps. Last set butchered after plucked weighed an average of 6.5 pounds each. We supplemented only in the very beginning with some non gmo grain added.

[@ourwayfarm]

What was your grow-out time frame by doing this?

[@nutmegknoll]

@@ourwayfarm in years past we would butcher at 8-10 weeks and even then would have casualties due to growth speed but this year since mostly feeding table scraps were averaging each set we have raised to grow out to butcher in four months. They pretty much though have stopped growing at three months but we needed to clean freezers. Our concern was with casualties but have had none. My husband says they look and seem more like a “normal” chicken only huge this year.

[@AB-ol5uz]

@@nutmegknoll I would be much more comfortable eating a chicken that grows out a little slower and eats a variety of food/bugs/grass, etc.) so that's very encouraging.

[@ourwayfarm]

@@AB-ol5uz agreed!!

[@ourwayfarm]

@@nutmegknoll so basically it's only an extra 2-3wks til they reached weight. That's such good news & I agree with the comment below that I would prefer the slower, healthier grow-out. Same for our pigs. Last year they were 13mo when butchered at 250lbs vs the touted 6mo grow-out. The meat was amazing!!

[@hillarydaniels4520]

I free ranged my freedom rangers on 2 cupsorganic broiler feed for 50 chickens plus scraps.. birds were 4 and 5 pounds at processing. Great meat awesome bone broth. I also have a 10 acre plot of clovr and wild flowers

[@hillarydaniels4520]

I am upping sunflower seed pumpkin seed and animal fat protien

[@Tianthira]

Have you checked billy, from perma pastures? He grows his animal feed, along with food scraps from local places to him.

[@edgarfriendly5081]

We're not completely disconnected from the feed store but getting closer. Key things we've done, move from broilers to pasture raised rabbits. We're in process of shifting from commercial pigs to kunekune. We've moved our sheep to complete grass-fed, and our goats eat the woods. We've grown large chunks of sunflower, pumpkin, squash, and will be growing feed corn in the next year. We have 40+ acres but currently only access/use 7 of them. Rabbits are turning out to be the best conversion We've made as they eat the hay through the winter and we take their pasture pens across the yard and hayfield the rest of the time.

[@betharechiga6858]

For pigs I have not done it myself but I have heard a lot of people plant turnips in the field for their pigs and the chickens of course eat the greens and then the pigs dig up the tubers

[@sweetearthfarm]

This is definitely my goal. I'm experimenting with growing sunflowers, amaranth, winter squash, nut and fruit trees. I'm practicing harvesting and preserving. Baker Creek Candy Roaster Squash is huge but I haven't tasted it yet. Doing all this before I get animals. Also have a 4-5 acre hay field that the neighbor cuts for me twice in the summer.

[@southloupriverhomestead4696]

We have grown candy roaster the last couple years and have been very happy with them. They also store well.

[@irmafernandez2887]

Thank you very much for the rich content you deliver to your followers. Homesteading is definitely not for the weak and your family working together to complete tasks makes your channel worthy to watch. I am amazed how much your garden has grown and the food production that it provides you. Living in southern California is Zone 9B, this woman can dream through you. I continue to expand my garden space in my suburban home and live by your mindset, life is an experiment.

[@lorrainecostanzo9092]

we used to keep the dried corn stalks and dried bean plants for the cows in the winter, the only thing you have to watch is mould, hanging them from the shed inside roof worked well and it was an extra treat

[@elizabeththequeen943]

We feed our cows a lot of apples and pumpkins, both of which they love. I was once told that cows are very happy eating hay and pumpkins all winter long.

[@jasonhatfield4747]

Another thought…if you haven’t already, consider reading Mark Sheperd’s book “Restoration Agriculture” He talks quite a bit about how ecosystems are able to feed/support large numbers of animals and how to mimic this in modern agriculture. It’s pretty fascinating

[@mommas2470]

Start growing amaranth (love lies bleeding) all parts are edible...seeds for chickens, chop and silage the stalks and leaves....same for sunflowers.. When you pull and feed your kudzu, you should turn some into silage....start planting buckwheat. The entire plant is loaded with protein.

[@hugelpook]

Grow amaranth millet and sunflowers, kale (any green) and comfrey for the chickens. Mangle worzels, trimboncinos, beets, daikon radish and carrots for the pigs. They can both have whey or kefir for protein. Pigs love eggs too! Put buckwheat in as a cover crop and let your cow 'prune' it. It will grow back. Then let it go to seed and let the chickens, scavenge the seeds. I would add Jerusalem artichokes for pigs. They can harvest them themselves. The stalks, are also good sheep and cow feed when green. Coppice trees every year in July, for tree hay for your cows for winter feed. Less need for bought hay. Honey locusts throughout your farm provide shade, fix nitrogen and produce pods to feed sheep cows and pigs. It is excellent for food for bees too.

[@peterellis4262]

Minor tweak to good advice: "Coppice" is a thing you do in winter, where you cut a tree right near the ground while it is dormant, to get it to come back in spring with abundant regrowth. Harvesting for tree hay is aggressive pruning. Pollarding, where you cut a tree at around your own head height, is a common way of encouraging the tree to produce loads of new growth that you can harvest for tree hay. Helps keep it in reach for the farmer to harvest, but above where the livestock can browse it off.

[@hugelpook]

@@peterellis4262 ah OK. Aggressive pruning then.

[@jfarm8854]

You have done so much since you made that land your home. You should feel very proud.

[@peppermedley8271]

You will also need to consider the amount of work necessary to succeed in your plan to grow, care for, and harvest all of that animal food you intend to grow. I'm not sure what the age of your oldest boys are, but it's probably not too many years before they may leave the farm, so you would be losing a lot of hands on assistance. More of the work will fall into your hands. Lots for you to think about.

[@terradamafarm]

I've had good luck on the PNW with putting a teaspoon of bakingsoda and a touch of oil in a spray bottle of water and applying to the squash leaves. helps prevent / treat mildew etc by adjusting pH. maybe give it a try?

[@VannaWhiteboard]

Best pumpkin pie I ever had was eating sweet potato pie while carving a Jack-O-Lantern.

[@sandraewers178]

I can't remember who put this info out...but I watched a video that a guy set up a container with holes in the bottom...and hung it in his chicken run... everytime he found a dead rodent or otherwise he put that in the hanging can and flies would lay eggs and as it broke down the bugs would fall out of the holes...it is protein for chickens...free food!!

[@peterellis4262]

Maggot buckets. There are a few youtube videos about it. it's a mixed bag, since it encourages pest flies, but also controls them by having the maggots eaten by chickens. Raising BSF with that same material produces excellent feed for chickens, plus pest flies won't lay eggs where the BSF are.

[@janhatchett7834]

Billy and William at Perma Pastures farm have raised meat chickens on food scraps and compost.

[@tobiasevergreen8234]

We have about one acre of garden and 4 pigs, duroc, they are about 200 pounds each and will reach 300 by the end the year. we have 50 plants of Zuchini, which they love just for them. Besides that they get all the scrabs. So ruffly 75 % of their diet ist based on The Garden. But we also feed 25% bought stuff, so they get all the Minerals and vitamines they need,just to be on the safe side. Also the zuchini part of the garden was heavily coverd in pig poo and hay as mulch in the spring :) Keep up the good work. Best greetings from Germany Tobias

[@patriciaherman6499]

Take your corn and put it thru the chipper and let it ferment for silage good for the cows. As for the pigs, we were going to butcher, we fed scraps until the last two weeks before butchering them, then we went heavy on the grain & milk. I hear you on the higher prices vs the lower weight ugh. Hopefully you'll find the right home grown feed solution. Blessings to you and your family. 😊🇺🇲

[@Inventerius]

For feed you need to chop the corn plants at least here in the netherlands we do. Try pushing a few through the wood chipper while you still have them. Then you know if you have the equipment to chop.

[@maplegrovefarmandhomestead8284]

We were able to cut our broiler feed by half by feeding them clabber from our milk cow. Milk is the best way to turn grass into feed for chickens and pigs.

[@sherriekemper1828]

This is such an interesting topic, I couldn't stop reading all the suggestions in the comments. I do remember sitting atop a huge pile of corn in my grandpa's corn crib and shucking it by hand...

[@janellevoigt5481]

Hi Hollars, your cows,pigs should, our did, eat your corn stalks, it doesn;t have to been silage. And our cows had 40 acres to graze. Love the videos, love what you are doing, love your family, my thoughts, upper Northern California.

[@jerrybrady9103]

Progress is what counts, Ben. Great to see Grandpa's truck again 👏

[@debbiebaughman1402]

When my husband was alive he used to soak everyone's feed in milk replacement over night making like a slop . He did this for the chickens goats pigs and cows and even our dog and cat food to make them stretch! You talk about tender meat!!! The dog only a little bit the cat loved it of course!!! Goats got into my tulip patch and they were sold that weekend!!! LOL!!! But it worked and saved us money!

[@hannahives9209]

Your cow and pigs will still love the dried up corn stalks. Our animals go crazy for them.😊

[@marthasullivan7521]

What a great challenge! Once we get the jist of growing food for people, the animals feed should be next. Maybe we can't grow all of it, such as corn, wheat, say, but I like your idea of beets, greens, carrots, mellons, squash, pumpkins, etc.; items which can be raised in smaller areas than corn or wheat. Homesteading has become barnsteading.

[@peterellis4262]

It's worth knowing that feeding livestock corn, wheat and soy is a modern aberration. Those things were too valuable to feed to livestock, they were for humans. They aren't even particularly good for livestock.

[@jasone679]

If you're going to get away from the feed mill you need a set of 2 bottom plows and a set of discs. Then you need to look at what crops will thrive in your soil type and grow those crops. You can't amend acres of crop land in one year so concentrate on what will grow. Then if need be trade some of what you raise to get what you can't grow (or sell and buy). Use your raised beds for human food, after all it's better to buy animal feed than human feed. Also you can make corn shalks as a way to store corn rather than ensilage.

[@pamelas9]

I think the greenhouse is going to be a game changer since you'll have fresh food nearly year round and the scraps that go with it. Feeding your main stock (breeders, layers, milk?) is probable doable on your acreage, but the grow outs for meat might always need supplemental feed. In the cow space you might need hay acreage. I would try to think about it like that,.. are we making enough for us and to sell enough to cover the feed costs? Living traditions homestead definitely buys feed but they do have some farm math videos and they also grow all there own food. I love what you guys are doing.

[@rhondajo3]

In the early 80s we moved from PA to GA and bought 7 acres south of Atlanta that was mostly woods and that came with an old chicken coop already on sight. The chicken coop was 3 sided, faced south and had a very skinny ladder made from a stick with 2 inch little cross sticks for the chickens to go up and down. We never lost a chicken to a predator except for once when the neighbor's dog jumped the fence and killed one, but a BB to his butt ended that! The ladder was so skinny that predators could not walk up it, and the chickens were able to walk down at sunrise and they always began walking and pecking back to their coop when the sun began to set. Our 6 Rhode Island Reds were free range and we didn't even feed them during spring, summer and fall. We didn't get as many eggs as we would have if we had fed them feed all year, and some would lay only an egg every other day, but we were very happy with free eggs during most of the year for our family of 7!

[@maryloomis8075]

A video from Becky's Homestead, she actually talks about making your own feed and changing feed and how egg production reduces but eventually when the chickens are acclimated to the new feed production resumes. Maybe introducing new feed into old feed by a ration of 25% increasing new feed as the old is used up? Just a thought. Good luck with growing the animals feed.

[@deboraheversole1303]

I feed my chickens chickweed. Nutritious and they love it. It has helped cut back on feed.Not completely away from feed but it has helped.

[@bhavens9149]

Mangles push themselves up, doesn't mean they aren't doing well beneath the soil. you probably should grow you're mangles, in their own plot, maybe top them with nasturtiums to help keep down weeds, but really they are a crop, not something to put here and there in my experience. but if you chat with Beth she might have some suggestions for you, worth an email.

[@SasquatchBioacoustic]

Focus on feeds that produce the most quantity and protein in the smallest foot print possible. Grains (dent corn, sorghum, amaranth, barley, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, winter rye), root crops (fodder beets, fodder potatos, fodder radish), legumes (pigeon pea, cow pea), and live protein (black soldier fly larva, mealworm) can all produce a lot of feed for your animals. Some perennials exist out there too, just have to search them out. Research "fodder plants" and you can find a lot of good info.

[@ruthjames4299]

I’m not a homesteader but was a dairy farmer. We used a whole farm plan to make the best use of our resources. It is worth the effort to sit down and plan as far ahead as possible, in doing that you have a direction to follow which allow your land and time to be as productive as possible.

[@dianadriverasbury9130]

This year has been very successful for you as you learn so much. Your intensive growing with feeding your own land and your animals is a goal I can see you reaching. You're definitely headed in the right direction since you are doing it all without chemicals. Chemicals make for short term success but will ruin your land in a hurry. You are doing a great job.

[@lorrainecostanzo9092]

Friends used to grow maize/corn for their pigs, they built a timber frame wire mesh sides (to be vermon and bird proof) up off the ground for air flow with a timber floor and with a metal roof and it worked well drying their corn out and keeping it for months for the pigs, it was approx 3 to 4 feet wide approx 6 to 8 feet long and about 6 feet high

[@goldengryphon]

How many pigs did it feed? It sounds like a great plan!

[@peterellis4262]

Corn crib. You see them still in rural areas of the US.

[@cynthiabrennemann3513]

My Papa Tony would plant a field full of root crops, like mangle carrots, mangle beets, mangle turnips and radish, mustards, etc...along with the normal alfalfa, etc. When the horses and cattle, sheep and goats had grazed down the tops, he'd bring in the pigs and they'd root up all the root crops. He also raised the mangle crops, shredded them, and pressed them into flat cakes that were dehydrated to feed later. He also raised cowpeas and green peas to store dry in big bins, along with various grain crops...corn, wheat, barley, as well as fields of sunflowers. He would make curds from skim milk for his flocks, and let his cows, pigs, sheep, goats, drink skim milk, etc. He still had to buy feed, but he sure cut down on how much he had to buy with planting his fields and gardens and moving his grazing flocks. He did not do that as scientifically as they do these days, but it worked for him. Also...he did have a ton of nut trees, pine trees, fruit trees, fruit vines, and in the drop season his animals got to graze there (not year round, as they destroyed trees).

[@kimcwhite6509]

I'm hoping you get some ideas from your fans in comments! Try watching FARMER TYLER RANCH on KZbin as he grows grass fed cattle. The video titled THE FRESHEST PIG FEED MONEY CAN BUY. He makes his own feed for his pigs and broilers. He has a Hanmermill which would intrigue you Ben. He does get soy for protein, but gets raw grain from a neighbor farmer (sometimes unrefined rice as he lives in Nor Cal next to rice farms). He adds the minerals from Redmond. He uses metal barrels to store his ground feed. Good luck.

[@ankhhomestead]

Little bites, Ben. What you've done so far is incredible & tells me you'll get where you want to be! Tell Meg to save meat scraps from the kitchen for the broilers. They're savage on meat!

[@soniaspangenberg8557]

I have a feeling Meg and Ben don't even know what meat scraps are! Have you seen how many half grown boys they have at the table? Buggie can hold her own too!🤣😂😉😉

[@jenniferr2057]

We have Kahtadin sheep... They are very goaty in behavior. They eat solely what they can graze and browse, except the small amount of treats I feed them to move them, and whatever scraps and greens the chickens don't get. I also have free range chickens.... Also summoned home with random treats.

[@cherylhecht6038]

You could grow peanuts, gather acorns, grow black oil sun flowe seed, Jerusalem artichokes, beets, corn, corn silage, oats, cabbage, and sweet potatoes. Many farmers buy spoiled apples, pumpkins that don't sell in the fall. Food by products if you have any food production companies in your area. Restaurant waste, fish waste from food production, outdated dairy products from the local stores for the pigs, or whey from a cheese making plant. Offal from a slaughter house frozen and used as a protien supplement. I would boil it in batches and then mix in some roughage such as beets corn, cabbage, silage, and then molasses and then freeze it in the quantities you need. You could raise crickets, grubs, worms and mix in other protien sources such as peanuts or peanut by products. There are so many possibilities and they are all good sources of nutrition.

[@mi4dub]

i think you can put your corn stalks into the woodchipper and feed it to your animals

[@bjgigout9832]

Have been enjoying your story, since you were looking for your home destination from CA, and when your KZbin friends helped knock out the renovation of your home. You guys are such diligent examples of hard work. Please share a video of what you and your children do for fun, renewal and relaxation. A trip to an amusement park with the kids? Camping? Hiking? Thanks! Happy homesteading!