What kind of grain or grass ahould i cultivate around the outside of pen to provide green feed.l?

[jeannetteshari]

I would like to plant and cultivate a safe nutritious tall growing grass with safe green and dried grain crop that the chickens can feed on through the fence and as well, i'd like to cut and feed the outer unreachable green stuff throughout the year. I live in south Mississippi and can probably grow most grains. Any ideas? Thanks

 

[yellowherb]

Welcome to BYC, it's a great place

 

[DreamsInPink]

I use the deer forage seed bought from tractor supply.  That way I know it's all safe for animals, if deer can eat it chickens can too I figure.  I grow it in plant troughs though and feed it as 3-5 inch seedlings.  A cheaper alternative is oats.  I paid $15 for a 50lb bag and although it takes a while to sprout, it makes a nice tall grass.  They will eat it, but not decimate it like they do the deer plot seed plants.

Is the deer forage seed all one type of seed, or a variety?

 

[yellowherb]

It's many types. There are larger seeds of some sort of oat, teeny seeds like from rye or radish and a few other types. The bag I'm currently using is called Hot Spot. There were several blends of deer plot seed at my TSC.

I feed it to the chickens, budgies and cockatiels. It does not last long at all. I tried growing it in troughs in front of my aviaries but found the chickens went and ate the oat seeds, then after everything sprouted they were eating it faster than I could grow. So I had to move my troughs and pots out of reach haha.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...s-blend-4-lb-covers-11-000-sq-ft?cm_vc=IOPDP1
This is similar to what I'm using now. I did a bag of the oat mix before this one, it all gets eaten. My husband says watch out for that rape seed, it can get out of hand if the birds don't eat it. I don't have that problem.

If you look for "deer plot" at TSC you will see all sorts of seed.

 

[yellowherb]

I plant heavy since it's not full grown when I feed it to the chickens and birds.
Coffee cans make good planters


Nearly at the point I feed it

The chickens got on the table and ate the oats out of this one

 

[DreamsInPink]

It's many types.  There are larger seeds of some sort of oat, teeny seeds like from rye or radish and a few other types.  The bag I'm currently using is called Hot Spot.  There were several blends of deer plot seed at my TSC.

I feed it to the chickens, budgies and cockatiels.  It does not last long at all.  I tried growing it in troughs in front of my aviaries but found the chickens went and ate the oat seeds, then after everything sprouted they were eating it faster than I could grow.  So I had to move my troughs and pots out of reach haha.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...s-blend-4-lb-covers-11-000-sq-ft?cm_vc=IOPDP1
This is similar to what I'm using now.  I did a bag of the oat mix before this one, it all gets eaten.  My husband says watch out for that rape seed, it can get out of hand if the birds don't eat it.  I don't have that problem.

If you look for "deer plot" at TSC you will see all sorts of seed.

Thank you very much! I'm definitely going to do something like this. I wish I could grow it through the winter when greens are less plentiful for them.

 

[yellowherb]

Very nice coop and run!

 

[glib]

The deer plot mixes is an excellent suggestion, and the chickens do not eat oats because, obviously, it is less palatable to them. What is most palatable is broadleafs in general. They give them more nutrition compared to grass. An alternative to deer plot mixes is cover crop mixes, it may be cheaper, and they are all plants that put out tons of green material. In general, a mix with a grain (rye is better than oats, as it does not winterkill), a legume (any), and a radish (most useful to break the soil, but also has tasty tops) gives them a complete salad bar. You may even buy forage chicory seeds and add them to the mix. That, they will eat with great gusto.

 

[bamabay]

I am in south Alabama and am new to chickens as well. You can grow cilantro well here, basil, okra, watermelon, and other melons in the summer. I am going to pick up some alfalfa as I think they will like that and it comes up everywhere. What you can do and some hunters do it here is to put chicken wire around a slight raised bed "doesn't have to be done with wood or cinderblock can just be piled up manure" and they cover it and put the feed inside to keep the hogs out on the permiter from eating up the food plot. I have often thought this would work well with chickens as it sounds like the decimate everything as well that they like to eat.

 

[yellowherb]

Alfalfa and clover are both well received by chickens and birds. My ornamental birds also enjoy parsley plants, but left oregano for last haha, guess they are not fans of Italian.

I like that idea of a wire covered raised bed. It would save a fortune on seed if they can't reach the roots of the plants.