The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: sausagesandcash on February 06, 2009, 01:32:27 am
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Do any of the french ex-pats know if pigs will eat artichokes? I'm planning on re-planting a veg garden for the pigs this year with lots of root vegetables, but I was just wondering if i could add in artichokes?
Also is there anything else that i could plant in the fields that the pigs would like, that will grow back naturally, after they've had their merry way with the mature plants/veg, and have been moved on. It would be nice if there was something I could plant without having to re-seed every year. My sinister motive is keeping feed costs down, devious devil that I am! Haven't eaten a coeur d'artichoke in years so I might plant some in the family veg garden. :farmer:
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Generally mine dont eat artichokes, even blanched, and certainly not raw. On the other hand Hilary will do anything for a handful of asparagus. Not sure how difficult it is to grow though. I think clover in the pasture is good for pigs, ours love cabbages, brussel plants, (although not so keen on just brussels) will eat brocoli but most hate cauliflower. HM
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Well that's the artichokes out then, but back to my other question
"is there anything else that i could plant in the fields that the pigs would like, that will grow back naturally, after they've had their merry way with the mature plants/veg, and have been moved on. It would be nice if there was something I could plant without having to re-seed every year".
Clover is a nice idea, but I was looking for something a little more substantial that they can root out....like some sort of wild veg 'that you can buy seeds for', and will grow back even stronger after being rooted at.
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I would suggest some type of bean to increase your protein levels
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I'm about to plant Jerusalem artichokes in the pig pen. Friends of ours grow them and their pigs love them - they are just allowed to root them up and munch them.
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I think i'll have a crack at beans, herbs and the usual carrots, parsnips, swedes etc. I'll have a look around for jerusalem artichoke seeds in the garden centre and see how they go.
Thanks for all the advice!
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just buy some J A tubers from the super market and plant them . Each one will provide you with many more to eat and to replant to expand your numbers . You can then plant all the spare ones in the piggie plot.
cheers
Russ
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It's tubers I've got - my chum says they're are a weed and grow like mad, so I'm hoping for lots of entertainment for the pigglies.
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JA's are a member of the sunflower family , so the top growth , stems leaves etc, can be fed to livestock as well.
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This is what i like so much about this forum - we learn from each other. I had absolutely no idea about JA's - thanks Rusty!
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no probs Annie,
it really is worth it's weight in gold sometimes ...direct hands on knowledge/experience , from others doing things you aren't . 8)
My horses really love the stems and leaves of both JA's and Sunflowers. Both give huge amounts of feed from a small area....9-10 feet tall and with JA's I was getting about 5 or 6 stems per tuber planted ,and about 10 tubers (5 small and 5 large) per tuber planted . I think they would have produced many more and larger tubers had they had a full seasons groth .I planted them very late in the year . I will be digging all of them up when this weather has changed , to replant in another area. I am eager to see what the crop will be like after they have been in for the winter. Oh and they tasted superb too.....MMMMmmm
cheers
Russ
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I love sunflowers - can I feed the seeds to the chickens?
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yes ....you can also eat them yourself, lightly toasted...lovely !!! They can be fed to most birds/animals , very good for you and most things. Tesco make a lovely spelt wheat and sunflower loaf.
Russ
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So do I!!!! ;) Got a small bag of spelt flour one time and added sunflower oil and a few seeds. Scrumptious. No spelt left unfortunately, so can't try it again. Thanks re sunflower seeds - might try some myself too.
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Yup it's a great forum for sounding things out and learning from others. I had never heard the word tubers (linguistic differences!). From googling it I take it that it's the jerusalem artichoke (also know as the earth apple!). Approx €15.00 from http://gurneys.com/ (U.S.A). Anyone know of another place closer to Ireland that might ship them? :farmer:
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tesco or any other similar super market will do them . Sometimes they are unavailable due to season. The ones I bought were 99p for 500 gramms (about 5 or 6 tubers ).
Russ
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We have loads of JAs, hoping to transplant from Veg patch to field for pigs. We have never had any flowers or seeds, but I have seen flowers on loacal box schemes JAs.
One small concern, our household name for JAs is fartichokes, due to side effect, and we tend to eat them onl in relatively small amounts ( delicious taste is offset by worry if going out in public the next day!!!). Has anyone had experience as to effect on pigs if eaten in large amounts?? Just worring about ozone layer etc.
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i had the same thaught, my pigs are disgraceful at the best of times. no one light a match! :pig: ::)
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light the match, free heat, lol :farmer:
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Have you ever seen an embarrassed pig??? Just feed them, they'll love them. Hilary is also particular to green tomatoes in a good year these too grow like weeds.