Food for the animals we have was the first chore we set out to do once we gone settled on the farm. We wanted to be able to feed our chickens fresh greens with grains over winter to keep them busy and healthy (and the eggs they produce are delicious!). So the equipment we bought to cut hay for the goats & sheep does double duty and processes the food for the chickens.

The bulk of the hay is grass and clover - same as for the animals. The haying process has to be done when all the seed stalks are dry so several plants are not in the mix - sunflowers, millet and sesame seeds which take longer to mature and dry. Soy and pinto beans are also part of the chicken feed as is corn (but it is given to them still on the cob). They have to work to get the seeds out of shells, pods and husks and it keeps them busy and happy. It also keeps them keen on working for their food so they keep their skills in tack over winter. . . and saves us time in processing their foods.

The chickens do good on most types of grass hay added to their diet. Unfortunately the sheep and goats do not like or tolerate the fescues growing in the hay field and pasture so we have to take it all down to plant a more palitable grass along with clover.

We haven't grazed out animals in the hay field yet but we plan to so they can fertilize it without any other assistance. Its my understanding that the animals are let on the haying pasture after the hay is off but were going to have to start doing that as our live stock numbers grow and pasture space needs expanding.

So far as we can tell, 5 acres will feed a pony, 3 sheep, 5 goats and 100 chickens quite well. That includes partitioning off a sunflower patch, soy and pinto bean patch, a 5 ft wide of millet, 10 ft wide of corn and 5 ft wide of sesame.

The only problems we've had with wildlife helping themselves is with the sunflowers so we'll add a patch just for them in the woods.