This was taken at the end of April of the comfrey coming up, there are a number of smaller plants that will be dug up and moved into rows for production but my bigger older plants like the one above will be harvested three to four times though the season
Some will be allowed in turn to bloom for the bees and then cut back as others come on-line to help draw and feed them, some will be used for compost to feed the garden and some will be used in salve making for our own use but right now in spring because of the way the things are going, its main use will be for milking moms and weaned lambs
The chickens get 3 oz per bird per day, the piglet get a pound per day, the weaned lambs get half a pound per head working up to a pound per day, the milking rabbit does get a leaf a day and the milking sheep a goat can get up to two pounds per day.
My rates are far under what is used in other livestock programs due to the fact that I am still increasing my growing program on this while watching health and livers in my animals.
Please note that in Canada, human internal use of comfrey is not allowed legally and that you can not buy salves, lotions and so forth with comfrey for external use, you can still own and grow comfrey for permaculture uses, garden uses and if you choose for your own personal use livestock fodder. As you will figure out quickly, you can no longer find Comfrey for sale in Canada in the herb or garden centers..
However it is found often at local free plant events, church plant sales and local plant swaps most often as a bee plant.
Do your own research on this outstanding plant, look to the many! animal feed studies down on it in Europe an if nothing else grow it for the garden an the compost pile as well as for the bees 🙂
Just another Day on the Farm 
We love to have comfrey in our garden. Very disappointed to see it being illegal to sell in regular nurseries. We found some through private sales and recommend it to everyone hehe
Hi Laura, I have never been able to find Russian Blocking 14, I just have the common type.. someday perhaps, which means that I always have to tell folks, once its planted, its there for life LOL and that it will spread.. but yes, I am like you.. the pro’s of this plant FAR out way the negs. and for gardens and anyone into composting, it is just awesome
J & D > Amazingly useful! We don’t have enough area planted yet. Priority at present is for propagation and making liquid feed for the tomatoes in the greenhouses.
It does make the most outstanding liquid feed for the gardens, I will admit that I often just chop and drop around the plants at times for feeding because I do find the smell of the rotting Comfrey to be stronger then others
Used as green compost/ mulch? Heck yeah! Why not weed and feed at the same time? (Less strenuous too; )
I have to admit that I rarely cut and drop comfrey, its normally cut and moved as I have it grown in a certain row and area and it gets hauled all over for the drop part, because it can be so very invasive in growth habit, I have not to date moved it into certain area’s of the garden
I just meant easier (& faster) than making up a spray/slurry… And, like you said, less smelly too; )
Ah sorry I misunderstood.. yes indeed then
Why is it banned for sale?
https://www.richters.com/show.cgi?page=Issues/comfrey.html
Oops, didn’t see this. Thanks!
🙂
Multi-tasking… ):
no worries dear.. me too
Its not totally banned, its half ban.. a you can grow it and use it this way and that way legally but not this way or that way..
Yes, but why?
Its in the link.. o, I see you say it now.. 🙂
After all these years how much was the limit your animals would eat? Was there ever a negative effect in any ? I’m using Bocking #4 and slowly propagating it in my pasture. The trouble is my animals love it and eat it before it can get strong.
Good Morning Theresa, I never put in the pasture but I agree, any of the babies that grew into the pasture was quickly eaten and never grew to size, I currently have a quarter acre in mature plants that I harvest from and serve a steady supply of to be eaten fresh at least a couple times a week over the full season till I let the plant have its last big grow out in the fall. I do not know the limit of what they would eat because its not free choice, they eat everything I give them with no side effects.. The oldest horse has been eating his share for ten years now, the oldest sheep that started it young (born here) lived to almost 13 and the other ewes and the ram no issues. The rest of the them are raised for butcher and again, no issues to date. the only way i think it would work in pasture is with strip grazing
That is wonderful to hear. Yes I am doing intensive grazing with electric fence and plan to plant the pasture with at least 50% comfrey. It will take a couple years to see how it works out but thank you for the update that is wonderful news. When I can I will give my geese 50lbs of fresh comfrey and they will make it disappear , that’s how much they love it. Chickens and ducks seem to sell eat it because they see the geese eating it so voraciously.
Thats awesome, do you have a blog I can follow? I would like to do so or a facebook page etc.
I don’t have a blog but maybe someday I will start a YouTube or TikTok to document everything going on at our farm. You know how it is, where can you get the time . We can connect on Instagram and I will send you my FB through that. My name there is Theresas_tribe .