forest gardener

Kari Gunnlaugsson wrote:
Yes there has been debate on the forum about whether invasives pose any concern or threat. As an ecologist who has worked for many years on habitat restoration and ecosystem recovery projects, and who has read widely on the issue, it's my personal opinion that introduced invasives pose a very serious threat to global biodiversity, which is compounded by habitat loss and climate change...and that we are well on our way into one of the worst periods of mass extinction in the planet's history.

I just want to say I really appreciate your perspective Kari. Bring on the information so that we can all make an informed decision!

i would say there hasn't been enough discussion regarding invasive plants. There is a big difference between agricultural weeds and truly invasive plants that threaten native Eco systems. One must consider there location as well. I boarder a sizable wildland area and have seen first hand how invasive one French broom planting by a neighbor has been. In just fifteen years it has spread extensively.

I would like to know if sea buckthorn is potentially invasive on the central coast of California.

A few thoughts after five years of reading and planting, still no chickens!

Regarding tagaste, I have never seen it for sale in the US. Is it highly invasive like French broom? And best left in Australia?

Does Alfalfa have to be dried before feeding it to chickens?

I don't think anyone has mentioned this, perhaps because it is so obvious. The bread of chicken has a big influence on the percent of foraging vs. required supplemental feed.

Where to buy?
I haven't found a place to purchase hazels in California. I found three mail order choices: Burnt Ridge Nursery, One Green World, And Raintree. Can anyone add to this list?

Chill hours? I am wondering if anyone knows of hazel varieties with lower chill hour requirements? I have read that Tonda di Giffoni is one. Any others? I know all the Corylus avellana have at least 800 chill hour requirement. C. cornuta is native to California and other parts of the west coast and I believe has much lower chill requirements.

I found the abstract to an article that I would love to read or at least get the "cliff notes" for. Does anyone have access to this article? University students out there?
HortScience September 1990 vol. 25 no. 9 1106
CHILLING REQUIREMENTS OF HAZELNUT CULTIVARS
Shawn A. Mehlenbacher

Sorry my response is a year late for the sale! Kourik's book is one you must own! It is full of very informative scientifically based and field tested info. No fluf! Every time I re-read it I learn something new and i have owned it for over 20 years! It is stiill relevant! Check out his blog too! His book is more info and less opinion than his blog, but both are valuable. If you buy just one more book this should be the one!

Thanks Matt, I will have to try them next year if I remember!

I would love to find a source for any perennial grain to try. Carol Deppe's book, 'Breed Your Own Vegetable' varieties lists Peters Seed and Research as a source but it doesn't look available from them anymore on the new website: http://newworldcrops.com/wp/home/

I don't see that Adaptive Seed sells any grains (other than corn)? Did I miss something?

Thanks for posting if you find a source!

Paul,
Please join the chicken forage discussion on the critter care discussion!  I agree with you, you have to take some information with grain of salt.  I just ordered three mulberry trees cause I think you are correct!

Sue,

Thanks for the info.  I have never had chickens and am just planting/planning for the day I will introduce them!

As far a comfrey- I have read that the milk of goats who eat comfrey may have sufficient toxins to be harmfull to people drinking the milk.  Now the goat didn't die from the comfrey or maybe even get sick but that doesn't mean that it's milk or meat for that matter isn't harmful to the humans that consume it.  As we all know "you are what you eat" and "what you eat has eaten!"

I see you point about the sunflower seeds.  I wonder sometimes when I read advice to plant things such as Siberian pea.  Do chickens really eat this?  All the reading in the word is not as good as actually observing it yourself!

I read one place chickens like vetch and another place that its toxic for them?

Thanks for sharing your own experience!

Most "fruiting" mulberry trees/shrubs sold are grafted to ensure a flavorful fruiting variety (exactly the same genetically as the parent).
You could dig up the free seedlings and use them as rootstock.

Here is the list I have come up with for plant to use for chicken feed- please add to it if you can!


PLANTS FOR SOWING IN ROTATION
Sunflower, amaranth, corn, millet, buckwheat, chickpea, sorghum, wheat, oats, barley,  clover

TREES and SHRUBS
peach,
banana (chop up the stems),
fig,
jaboticaba,
grumichama,
Brazilian cherry,
pears
Black Locust- Robinia
Honey locust (pods are high protien and tree is nitrogen fixing)
Cornus,
sorbus,
Nanking cherry
Sand Cherry
Siberian Pea Shrub- Carragana spp.
Apple
Plum
Raspberry
Mulberry  (fruit is relatively high protien)
Sea Buckthorn
Apricot
rosa rugosa
Plums
Raspberries
Gooseberries
Saskatoon (Service berry)
Sea buck thorn
Sand cherry
persimmon, pawpaw, feijoa, strawberry guava, tamarillo, custard apple,


GREENS  and/or SEEDS
dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
plantain (Plantago spp.) (high in calcium for chickens)
chickweed
arrowroot,
New Zealand spinach syn.  - Tetragonia tetragonoides, 
nettles,
brassicas (radishes, mustards),
alfalfa,
clovers- Strawberry clover,  Ladino Clover, White Dutch Clover, Red Strawberry Clover
chicory,
purslane
Buckwheat,
black oats,
Perennial Cereals
pumpkins,cucumber
squash
Sunflowers,
amaranth,
corn,
chard, cabbage, kale,
spinach, lettuce, broccoli...in fact any of the green leafy vegetables.
sesame, sunflower,
pigeon pea
Flax,
Birdsfoot Broadleaf Trefoil,
Red Cowpeas
Strawberries
Radishes
corn salad
lambs quarters
dock (Rumex spp.)


Vines
chayote,
passionfruit
grapes
peas
climbing spinach-  Ceylon Spinach


Herbs
Bergamot
Clary sage
Nettles
Yarrow
Comfrey  (limited portion of diet- liver toxin)
borage (self-reseeds freely)
Feverfew
Wormwood (Artemesia absinthe)
rue (Ruta graveolens)

 
POND PLANTS
Lemma

I just love this, what a great idea!

I have been compiling a list a plants to get going around my farm before introducing chickens.  High protein sources are hard to come by.

I can't wait to try this!