This year is truly the mast year for the local oaks.  The previous two years, I was easily able to gather, just from our yard and a few neighboring trees, enough for my own use.  I have worked myself up to eating acorns in something twice a day....usually as an acorn and corn bread (at a 50-50 ratio) in the morning and as a boiled grits/polenta at midday....this has recently succeeded at 100% acorn).  But this fall so far I have gathered 19 5 gallon buckets.....at 50# a bucket this is over 900# of acorns!  So this is the year to experiment, and the goal is to find an effective efficient way to get my chickens to eat them as well as myself and my wife!  Two internet sources assure me that sprouting them and smashing them are sufficient....which is what I will try first.  If I can get them to store in the shell till next irrigation season than some leaching will not be a problem....I can just let the water dribble through onto a plant that needs it....