How to Feed Chickens With Duckweed

Use duckweed only as a supplementary food source for chickens.

Duckweed can be a nutritious, high-protein part of your chickens' diet, although it certainly should not be their only food source. Chickens enjoy both dried and fresh duckweed, which is beneficial if you have a pond and need to regularly remove excess duckweed from it anyway. Interestingly, adding carotene-rich duckweed to your hens' diet will make their egg yolks a vibrant yellow color. Some people cultivate duckweed to feed their poultry. This can be done even on a small scale since duckweed requires little care and grows quickly.

Things You'll Need

• Net

Instructions

1. Harvest fresh duckweed from a pond or cultivation vat with a net.

2. Rinse the duckweed in fresh water to remove any mud or debris.

3. Start by feeding your chickens a small amount of fresh or dried duckweed, as a part of their regular diet.

4. Increase the amount of duckweed you feed your chickens and reduce their regular food accordingly. Do this gradually over a few weeks. Up to one quarter of the chickens' diet can consist of dried duckweed, but do not introduce it into their diet all at once. Since fresh duckweed contains so much water, use it just to supplement your chickens' diet.

Tips & Warnings

• To grow your own duckweed outside, prepare one or more large, shallow containers. An existing pond, an unused child's pool, a vat or tank, or a large tray will do. Add compost, water and some live duckweed to start each one off.

• Do not feed your chickens vegetation that has been treated with chemicals.

References

• Livestock Research for Rural Development: Duckweed - A Potential High-Protein Feed Resource for Domestic Animals and Fish; R.A. Leng, J.H. Stambolie and R. Bell; October 1995
• Mobot: Duckweed as a Feed Supplement for Livestock