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| Salad mix Jan. 30, 2012 |
I harvested some lovely salads this week. The large 24" pots of Salad Bowl lettuce in the green house are getting big enough to pick, (4 oz from one picking) the chickweed is starting to take off and the Lamb's Quarters are also picking up.
This weeks salads have contained lettuce, red mustard, chickweed, Lamb's Quarters, cilantro, sorrel, violas, violets, spinach, chard, arugula and radishes.
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| baby carrots |
In another experiment I have been trying to cut some clover, edible weeds, bolting arugula, even apple tree trimmings, each day to feed to the rabbits. Sometimes there isn't much and sometimes my work schedule keeps me from being able to do this. I've been recording the results in the tab up top about animal feed harvested.
Interesting that feeding less than 30 pounds wet weight of fresh feed resulted in a savings of 56 pounds of purchased feed...... Perhaps fresh organic feed is more satisfying. I will continue to experiment and record the results. I do intend to breed one or two of the does to kindle in March, if I can get their cages fixed. So we'll see how that pans out with the fresh feeding.
*edit* I've realized that there is a terrible typo in my figures. There are only 4 rabbits, not five so the feed savings is 25 pounds of feed....
Hmm, interesting statistics.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Am trying to set up myself to grow free chicken food
ReplyDeleteSuch prefect carrots! I do love edible flowers too - yours are pretty as a picture (I hope they tasted just as good).
ReplyDeleteNice salad mixture, lovely photos as usual.
ReplyDeleteYour salad makings are lovely, the violas are so cheerful! I have to admit that I've not been able to develop a taste for the edible weeds, but the chickens like them so they get them as treats at times.
ReplyDeleteYour harvests are picture perfect and very yummy looking! Our experience with our chickens is that if they are given adequate time to free range our commercial feed usage is almost negligible. If they are forced to be in the yard more, then they really ramp up the consumption of purchased feed. The fresh greens and bugs really seem to be quite satisfying for them and given a choice they turn up their beaks at the commercial feed in favor of the natural items.
ReplyDeletebeautiful carrots, we are interested in the rabbits. do you raise them as pets?
ReplyDeleteWhat a colorful salad mix and bunch of carrots.I grow lots of extra chard,kale and lettuce for my chooks and of course they love all sorts of weeds too, sure saves on brought feed.
ReplyDeleteI love the colors in your salad mix!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous salad! And your carrots have me incredibly jealous! I really can't wait to pull our first ones of the new year...though it might still be a while ;-)
ReplyDeleteI was trying to be PC...hehhe. We are interested in raising rabbits for meat. any tips/tricks/favorite websites? I know nothing about raising them
ReplyDeleteBeautiful harvest! Interesting information about the rabbits. :)
ReplyDeleteLynn