The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: macgro7 on January 11, 2018, 01:49:14 pm
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How much acreage of wheat/corn and whatever other grains woudlbyou need to feed let's say 100 layers for a year? Couple of acres?
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We're on heavy clay and the farmers around us growing wheat to feed their stock reckon on 3 tonnes an acre without any fertiliser other than FYM. You have to factor in machinery or contractor costs, sprays if it's not organic, time spent weeding ..... Wheat on its own may not be the optimum diet for layers but what else you could grow would depend on soil, climate, height above sea level, how far North you are, etc.
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Im just looking at this possibility hypothetically.
We are in Leicestershire/Rutland, so mostly clay but not too high.
I was thinking of growing an acre of spelt, corn and buckwheat.
Obviously with that small area it would not be even feasible to call contractors to drill it in. I'm looking at different methods like brand new Italian made reaper binder and a thresher for harvesting. Would be cheaper in long term and with that acreage wouldn't take too much time.
It a just an idea. At the end it would probably be cheaper to just buy ready made layers or broiler pellets
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We used to buy a wheat/barley mix for our pigs from a local farmer - he provided the shove,l we brought the old feed sacks. It was much cheaper and more convenient than growing it ourselves.