Supplementing chicken forage with sprouts in conditions of limited space

I've never raised rabbits, so I don't know. I know someone who just started to raise rabbits, so would be very interested in what you find out!

Tyler Ludens wrote:I've developed a pretty efficient system for raising free-range land crustaceans (woodlice/slaters/sowbugs) for chicken and fish food. I find a damp area of soil - a spot in the veg garden is fine - put a pile of moist organic material such as kitchen scraps on the soil, and cover with a few flat rocks. In a few days I come back and turn over the rocks and find this:

They can be scooped up by the handful.

What a GREAT idea!!! I am on my way to a damp patch of earth when I get home!!!

with a chicken tractor I wonder if it would be beneficial to put some organic matter like kitchen scraps down in front of the tractor and cover it with a board a couple days in advance of the tractor being moved over it, to get bugs and worms and such to come up to gather and feast on the pile. then pull the board off move the tractor over it and let them go to town on it. I would think it would create a feast for them without killing the plants. could have 2 or three boards staging move one board and throw the days kitchen scraps under it.

Building a chicken tractor now and plan on having some fun and practicing some science with it.

I get wild bird seed at 8$/20lbs and sprout it in 1/2gal jars over 5 days. This seems to be the big daily event to the birds, as they come running off their nests and and fly back from the neighbour's yard to come get it. The organic feed I provide is eaten only after they get all the sprouted seeds I spread where I want tilled and picked over.

Sidenote: I also throw in a tsp of spirulina *during* the soak stage, as well as a squirt of lemon juice. Ive read the sprouts take up a ~huge amount of mineral nutrition from the blue-green, and the lemon juice has proven to hinder fungus finding the fodder.

Never thought about kelping the stuff before feeding - great idea!

Dollar store dry beans sprout pretty good. I get them at a regular dollar store, 1lb and 2lb bags for a buck. Pinto, kidney and white navy. Actually planted a lot with our corn this yr cause they sprouted so good for the chickens, grew great.