“But any ideas what I can plant to use for supplement feed for chickens and goats? I’m in zone 8.”
My chickens always loved split melons or anything in the Brassica Family (cole crops: cabbage, kale, broccoli, turnips, kohlrabi, etc.) All are easy to grow and nutrient dense.
Goats will eat just about anything, in my experience! :) Here’s a good article from Mother Earth News on growing for goats:
https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/growing-feed-for-goats-zbcz1502/
Thanks, Diana. my chickens eat really well when my fruits and veggies come in! All the peelings, cores, end pieces, over ripe veggies go to them. I grow a lot of collards and I give them the tougher leaves or anything covered with cabbageworms, lol. Mine love zucchini as well (I always get one that I overlooked that is too big to eat). Plus they are free range and get a lot of bugs and such most of the year.
Last year, I started growing mealworms for them as well because the ones in the store are too expensive.
My main concern for the dairy goats and chickens is over the winter. There is not enough forage for my dairy goats and layers to produce well.