New Use For Acorns

[so lucky]

We have a huge old oak tree in our yard which produces loads of acorns some years. I discovered that if you pick up or rake up the acorns and store them in a bucket for a day, cute little larvae will emerge from the holes that are often in the acorn. Move the acorns aside and feed these larvae to your chickens. They love them as much as they love meal worms, and there is some kind of poetic justice in the whole process. I think the chickens will eat a few acorns, too, if smashed. (the acorns, not the chickens) :/

 

[897tgigvib]

Acorns are high in a kind of tree acid that is not good for human consumption until they are ground and then rinsed multiple times. Haven't completely waked up yet, waiting for my coffee, but I think it is tannic acid...

I don't know how they would affect chickens, but it is worth checking out before feeding acorns to chickens.

 

[897tgigvib]

http://askville.amazon.com/acorns-edible/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=17756711

Here's an article about acorns. Still haven't found about how much tannins chickens can take...

 

[Smart Red]

The wild turkeys around here are big fans of acorns, so I'd expect chickens wouldn't have a problem with them. Certainly crushed acorns are easier for fowl to eat. Unfortunately, the indigenous (and migrant) rodents manage to make off with most of our supply.

I know the tannic acid makes acorns too bitter for the normal human palate, and that the nuts are washed several times before they can be made into acorn flour for delicious cookies or cakes. However, I've not heard that the tannic acid is bad for humans. only that it's inedibly bitter.

Love, Smart Red

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

aren't you also supposed to roast them before eating them? i've never really tried them in anything but i've heard of using the flour for making stuff.