I'm looking for creative ways to feed my birds and other animals during winter.
I usually don't have to feed my chickens or rabbits because they just eat what's available, lot's of grass, fruiting perennials and bugs available even in autumn.
In winter though I have to tap onto whatever grains and food I stored during the warmer months.
Ideally I'd like to plant perennial plants which have edible parts or fruits during the winter months. Winter here is not that cold, snow is a rare occurrence but it happens: I live in Buenos Aires 35° south. I know the ideal might not even exist, but any insight or different aproach is always appreciated.
Now is a good time to plant trees like mulberries, chinquapin, dogwoods, crab apples, staghorn sumac, and other fruit trees.
Also, birds and other wildlife would enjoy native Hollies, northern Pigeon grapes, Wild rose, trumpet honeysuckle, native viburnums, and serviceberries.
I am looking forward to the perennials other folks might suggest.
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Hi Dan,
Anne has some great suggestions. I'm going to take her mulberry idea and take it a step further. Mulberry, willow, poplar, and other trees have leaves that are quite edible and healthy to livestock, particularly ruminants. It was common in some areas of the world where traditional hay was not possible or was difficult, for them to make tree hay. They would prune the tree and strip the leaves off to be dried, sometimes baled, and stored like the hay we think of today.
Jack Spirko and Nick Ferguson talk about fodder trees in this podcast. It has lots of good stuff. I'm not sure about specific trees for your area, but the concepts should be the same. I don't recall if they talk about drying it or not in this one.
https://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/fodder-trees
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do you have space you can close off access too earlier in the year to "stockpile" for winter grazing? Even if it doesn't get you all the way through, it can extend the season..