Developing the grass in your yard for increasing free ranging nutrition

[Arielle]

Quote: Cooked tomatos are far better nutritionally than raw . . .especially for men. Definitely worth thinking about planting a few.

 

[LindaB220]

Bumping this back to the top because I believe it is incredibly important to keep our pastures and yards in great shape. The importance of cover crops is invaluable.

 

[DennisK]

Bumping this back to the top because I believe it is incredibly important to keep our pastures and yards in great shape. The importance of cover crops is invaluable.

Thanks for referencing this thread, Lindab220 – this is a subject I am very much interested in. Last year, we tried cutting our chicken yard in half. On one half we planted clover, alfalfa, and lintel beans. They grew quite thick, but when we opened up the yard, it seemed the chickens ate it down to dirt in three days! … well, maybe a week. We live quite a ways out in the country, and there are a lot of predators – coyotes, bobcats, hawks, etc … So we fenced in a area, to keep the chickens safe – the problem is, in a very short time, there was no forage from which to feed. I use to just let the chickens roam free, and I remember seeing a hen busy picking flying insects that come to us once a year from weeds that were growing in our field – I swear, that chicken looked like she was the happiest creature on earth! If a chicken could smile …. I am thinking of abandoning the chicken yard idea knowing that there will be losses that this environment will demand. I could then broadcast seeds over a wider area. Perhaps some of the plants would survive long enough to propagate on their own. Maybe a couple more dogs would help keep the predators back.

 

[DennisK]

Concerning this same subject, DW and I started thinking we are doing the grazing thing for the horses all wrong in that we are attempting to grow alfalfa which will take a lot of cultivating. Growing out here, naturally, is a weed called filaree, or some people call it storksbill. Every spring, the horses’ breath smell of filaree, and they get quite fat during this time. Even when the filaree dries up, the horses like to munch on the dried leftovers. I heard that filaree is more nutritious than alfalfa; so why isn’t it grown commercially? We are getting the idea that we are trying to cultivate the wrong plant. Perhaps we should encourage the growth of filaree so that it will last longer into the year – perhaps even to harvest some of it. I wonder how the chickens would take to it?

 

[LindaB220]

Concerning this same subject, DW and I started thinking we are doing the grazing thing for the horses all wrong in that we are attempting to grow alfalfa which will take a lot of cultivating. Growing out here, naturally, is a weed called filaree, or some people call it storksbill. Every spring, the horses’ breath smell of filaree, and they get quite fat during this time. Even when the filaree dries up, the horses like to munch on the dried leftovers. I heard that filaree is more nutritious than alfalfa; so why isn’t it grown commercially? We are getting the idea that we are trying to cultivate the wrong plant. Perhaps we should encourage the growth of filaree so that it will last longer into the year – perhaps even to harvest some of it. I wonder how the chickens would take to it?

What a fabulous idea. Also, have you looked into quartering the pasture up and putting chickens on 1/4. Let the other grow for a week. Then switch and let them eat on the second 1/4. Replant first 1/4. etc. This is just something that some people are doing (Think Permaculture). We need to investigate the storksbill. Good going.

 

[jentralala]

Could anyone tell me if either of these would be good to grow in the yard for my chickens?

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/evolved-harvest-clover-crush-2-lb

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/plotspikereg;-quick-stand-no-till-forage-food-plot-seed-12-lb

I'm leaning towards the second as I'm pretty sure chickens like to munch on all those things?

 

[LindaB220]

Could anyone tell me if either of these would be good to grow in the yard for my chickens?

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/evolved-harvest-clover-crush-2-lb

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/plotspikereg;-quick-stand-no-till-forage-food-plot-seed-12-lb

I'm leaning towards the second as I'm pretty sure chickens like to munch on all those things?

I'm liking it too. Plotspike is a good company. The also have forage oats that have been washed 3 times and are great to sprout. I couldn't find it so I got another kind and was disappointed. The clover crush is only 2 lbs but clover is the favorite of the chickens. It's red and white. White is perfect but red (which I bought) grows tall, like a foot or more. Bee used white clover as her walkways in her garden. So pretty.

 

[jentralala]

Thank you! That's great to know about the forage oats. I've been looking at sprouting for the chickens, but I'm wondering if it is too hot here in FL? All the guides I see recommend the temps not exceed around 75F, and my house sits at 81...

Do your chickens still eat the red even though it grows tall? I have some kind of weed in my yard that they think is candy, and they don't seem to mind that it's several inches taller than they are, silly girls.

 

[Arielle]

I buy my oats from a local mill-- not crushed, not rolled, and when I called the office,t hey said the famers buy it for seeding at . . .wait . . wait . . $15 for 50#! I noticed the corn was started to set roots too when a pile got wet.

Rotate the horses thru the pastures with the chickens. No coyote dare take on one of my horses.

Dennis-- I think you have hit on a get idea. IMO I thinkall the development of new seed caused the sales men to be overly agresive in the dsitrubution of said seed. THey needed to convince the farmers that this seed is better than natures choices. . . . I have seen this when new breeds of livestock are brought in. Yet the tides have been turning and the recognition of native beeds that thrive on less water, on less feed, also means the native grasses and shrubs and plants need to be in place too. IF the horses are safe to eat it, go for it!! Horses dont need the alfalfa anyways-- occassionally it is ok but not as a staple. I know of a woman in CA that feeds alfalfa mixed with straw, the straw to keep the horse busy and the alfalfa to round out the nutrients. My horses love birch leaves . . as we clear the land we feed that to the horses and sheep. So I love your idea of going wth what you natively have . . . it should work better for the land and it sounds like it will work well for the horses. Yeah, win-win.

 

[Arielle]

Bumping this back to the top because I believe it is incredibly important to keep our pastures and yards in great shape. The importance of cover crops is invaluable.

THanks linda, I keep this thread on my list.

THe grasses (the lawn grasses) planted in bare spots are coming in. Fine blades like green needles up ended into the compost layer.

DH has been chainsawing more to get more light in. THe ferns are knee deep-- and while I can find documentation that only one fern is poisonous, this property is covered by several other kinds, but I am too afraid to feed it to the sheep. SO we are pulling it and piling it tocompost. ANd panting winter squash to ( hopefully) knock down the regrowth. With the intention of reseeding with grass and clover in the future.