SC - Chicken Diets

[Hupman, Laurie]

I received the following from Brother Johann -- who should be joining this
list soon...

Rose :)


Johann replies: Good My Lady, Please forward this to the cooks list and 
know that I will try to subscribe there myself one of these days!!
Johann/ Marcus Loidolt

> 
> ********************
> 
> > "Likewise, smaller hens who produce larger eggs take up less
> >  coop space and eat less feed, resulting in more compact and more
> efficient egg production and more profit." when the chickens were
generally left to eat what they would on a free-range basis. Do we have 
any evidence of chickens being fed grain, even in winter?
> >
> > **************************
> >
> > Brother Johann (the chicken guy in the Midrealm) told me not too long
ago that he's experimenting with some period diets for his poultry. 
 I don't know what his sources are, but it sounds like there's something 
out there...
> >
> > Rose :)
> 
> If you can find out from him sometime what he considers period poultry
> diets to be and what evidence he has for this I'd be interested. I still
think the idea of feeding chickens grain that you could eat is 
unlikely.If you don't want to eat it, you can often make beer from it. 
Barley for instance.

" And the mash, you feed to the birds!!! A number of Digby's reciepts 
call for a grain mash.

> One of the reasons that the horse took a while to begin
> to be used in agriculture, even after an appropriate collar was invented
was that it required a better food supply than the ox. Even 
though it was faster than the ox this was a problem. One of the things 
that sped its use was the introduction of the three-field rotation of 
crops that allowed a winter? crop of oats to be grown. Thus still giving 
you two crops for your own use and a third for the horses.
> 
> Animals were often slaughtered in the fall rather than feed them through
the winter.I just don't think there was a lot of surplus food 
available to use on chickens.

" True for your expensive four legged mammals, but poultry is VERY 
economical to winter over and very quick to replace itself."
"It all comes down to WHEN and WHERE!! A thousand years and a continent
changes in many ways. There is room for both extreme wealth and 
poverty."
> 
> I'm wondering if Brother Johann's period diet might include a lot of
> bugs, that he has to make provision for, but that the period chicken
> keeper would let his chickens gather for themselves. The same would go
> for weeds and weed seeds. Chickens can and do eat a rather diverse
> diet. In some ways they are an excellant method to turn stuff you can't or
won't eat into something you will eat.
> 

"Very true and the majority of my birds do forage in just that manner. I 
only give a special feed to those birds I want to specifically breed or 
fatten. During the winter the breeders will continue to get select table 
scraps as well as some oppourtunity to forage."

> I have no direct experience raising chickens though to base any of
> my comments on.


Johann replies:
  My documentation for chicken feed is gathered from these principle 
sources. As I have noted earlier this is usually given to theose special 
birds who are good layers, breeding stock, or are reserved for special 
occasions. The majority of the flock forages for weeds,seeds, and bugs,
they are also given what table scraps that might be found in period, ie,
no corn, potatoes or such. 

 1. Kenelm Digby's 'Reciepts of Cookery' the last chapters have several 
procedures to fatten and promote egg production. These recipes are heavy 
on white bread, beer and milk.

 2. Pliny the Younger's 'Honest Indulgence' dictates several ideas about 
what one should feed to certain hens to achieve the most desired 
results, ie fattening and heavy egg production. 

3. The Goodman of Paris also includes directions on how to increase 
birds weight and flavor as well as the all important egg production.
'Give your best layers and those birds for our table the best of scraps 
and plenty of fat and wheat.

 3. Aepicius also gives 2 directions on fattening chickens for the 
table. These include forcing with beer and grain and honey.
He says nothing about egg production.

Johann von Metten, poultrier

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