What do you grow to feed the chickens??

[mushypea]

Thanks! I appreciate the other suggestions. I'll look into those instead.

You can try jerusalem artichokes. They grow fast and very tall. But they are impossible to get rid of if you don't remove all the tubers, they are quite invasive. I grow mine in big pots.

 

[Elemes]

I'm interested in knowing which herbs, greens, and similar plants are good for feeding chickens. Suggestions?

Zucchini, Kale and Cucumber. Beans have been planted but aren't ready yet.

 

[redsoxs]

Sunflowers plus all garden excess...overripe tomatoes and those mutant cucumbers and zucchini that somehow get overlooked and grow gigantic!

 

[Birdy Buddy]

I am new to BYC. I love to garden and always like to grow stuff that my birds can eat too. I just ordered some comfrey online. It's a hybrid that does not become invasive. It's called Bocking 14. I used to grow it for my birds when I lived in Chico Ca. At first they spurned it because of the hairy leaves but they eventually learned to fight over it. It grows fast and is super nutritious. The egg yolks from hens raised with comfrey get a deep orange color from all the carotene in the leaves.
I just moved to a new place in Sacramento and I have been busy making the garden and a place for chickens.
This is my spanking new tractor coop parked near the garden anomy new greenhouse. My five pullets are about two months old now and they come running when they see me coming. I always have good things to eat for them. Lately they have been getting a lot of melon rinds and sweet corn cobs. I have a bucket on my counter that I fill a couple times a day with all my kitchen scraps. I have moved the tractor about four times now to let them scratch fresh dirt. It's summer in Sacto now so it gets pretty hot and dry. Over the winter and spring my yard is pretty green with grass and a burr clover cover crop.
Right now I have a few kinds of zucchini, cucumbers, crenshaws, watermelons, peppers and tomatoes. I love the cucumbers for chickens because they produce from July into November or the first frost. Same with the zucchini. Three zucchini plants are enough for my family and the chickens. I eat the melons down to about an inch thick rind and the chickens eat the rind to almost transparant.
In the winter I grow swiss chard, beets, and lettuce. I have several fruit trees that I share with the chickens. I throw more stuff into that coop then they can eat. They have chick starter always available and I don't let them free range yet so they are dependent on me to give them stuff. I have the chickens separate from my dog yard but I don't want them getting into my garden and wrecking stuff.
My zucchini is in high gear. Chickens love it.

I just moved the tractor to fresh grassy ground a week ago and it looks like scorched earth already. You can barely see all the zukes and cukes I threw them yesterday. I mist them when it's hot and it moistens the dirt a little for perfect dust baths.

Here are a couple watermelons hiding out underneath.
My garden is just getting started so I have much bigger plans for next year. I like to plant sunflowers for the chickens too. I harvest the heads whole and feed them as snacks if the scrub jays don't eat them first..

 

[Foristers]

I am new to BYC. I love to garden and always like to grow stuff that my birds can eat too. I just ordered some comfrey online. It's a hybrid that does not become invasive. It's called Bocking 14. I used to grow it for my birds when I lived in Chico Ca. At first they spurned it because of the hairy leaves but they eventually learned to fight over it. It grows fast and is super nutritious. The egg yolks from hens raised with comfrey get a deep orange color from all the carotene in the leaves.

Welcome Birdy Buddy.
So with you growing so much food for your chickens, how much do you spend monthly on feed?

 

[Birdy Buddy]

Welcome Birdy Buddy.
So with you growing so much food for your chickens, how much do you spend monthly on feed?

I haven't had my pullets for long and they are growing fast. I don't think I save much on food. They always have commercial starter available and I will probably always have lay mash available when they start laying. Later as they mature I will have a better idea how fast they go through their food. The feeder I use wastes very little so I can probably get a pretty accurate estimation if I want.
I think they're happier when I give them fresh food. I love to see their enthusiasm for what I throw in. It's one of life's little pleasures. I'm easily pleased. My motivation is only to have healthy birds and delicious eggs.

 

[troutman]

don't know what is good to feed them but what you can do is when all you plants die throw all of the vines and stuff in the coop and that will give them something to dig around in and will keep them happy

 

[BruceAZ]

they ravaged most of the plants in my raised garden bed.. except basils... i guess they don't like basils..

so i have to move the rest to the sides of the house and block those areas off..

i'll just give them organic, non-gmo layer feed and scratch.. will take a while for mealworms..

for veggies/fruits..i guess whatever chicken scraps we have..

chickens to a garden like termites to a house!!

 

[Arielle]

chickens to a garden is like termites to a house.... rofl....BIL often invited neighbors chickens over for a visit into his gardens. I think they picked the pesky bugs first as they were well fed birds then were usered home again before any real damage.

Have found in my effort to feed the chickens better that my family eat better first. Family gets first pick of the foods, then dogs then birds. I only plan to grow sugar grey peas now as the green vines are very tastey. Pulled a few vines but didnt get to them and they dried rather quickly in the fall envoronment of a wood stove in fall mode heating the kitchen area. Will toss the greens to the birds tomorrow unless I can firgure a way to grind it or soup it.

Tried other peas but none have the wonder pea flavor. All tried so far are bitter and I cant even swallow the few leaves tastes tested.

Still have to buy feed. But the spring eggs that I scrambled and froze are a dark orange-yellow.......clearly they were foraging on something green!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Good to have you back, Arielle