Any suggestions for what to plant to help feed the chickens?

[querimonious]

I'm new to chicken-keeping but have found they really like Swiss Chard, which keeps growing right through a British winter. We eat a lot of it ourselves, but there's still plenty for the chickens. I also found they liked cucumber and courgette (zuchinni), which are easy to grow.

 

[Tracydr]

I'm going to try cushaw and sweet potatoes. Can they eat southern peas without cooking? I'll also plant lots of amaranth. Trying to think of things for during our very hottest time when nothing grows to well, to use as basically a cover crop. Oh, basil will do well, too.
Will thy eat sorghum? How about buckwheat? I've not grown sorghum or buckwheat but I know they will do well as summer cover crops.
I know sweet potatoes will work, the hard part is getting rid of them! In fact, they keep coming back from the roots the following year like weeds in our warm climates. I may even plant some in the shade, where I won't get tubers but lots of vines. They really like sweet potato vines and it's a very pretty, very heat hardy ground cover.
I may also try growing lots of hybrid zuchinni or possibly zuchinni rampicante since I can get enough of either one to share before it gets to hot.
Amaranth is great. Tons of greens, lots of high protein grain that they can eat without being ground and it's higher n lysine than most grains.

 

[DancingHen]

Mangel beets, turnips, cabbage, kale, collards, swiss chard, all forms of squash (mine love the pumpkins and squash cut in half, and they love to eat the entire vine with the big leaves on it), feed corn, winter grasses such as rye and wheat, oats (they love the grass and the oats just chop up the whole plant), carrots, radishes (mine LOVE radishes greens and all), any fast growing lettuces, dandelions (easy to grow and super healthy for the chickens....mine eat them like they are candy).

 

[kizanne]

Isn't sweet potato part of the solanum family so are the leaves edible without cooking.

 

[ruffles]

Hi, passed summer we we planted extra veggies for outselves and the chickens. Well, Hurricane Irene struck us here in southeastern Mass, I live in Rehoboth, lot power for almost a week, soo, veggies in
the freezer had to be chucked.

SOO, now, we have a generator, as we also have well water, so, if a winter storm or storms or strong summer storm cause power loss, hopefully we are covered.

 

[onafixedincome]

If you get the shallow planting trays that have holes in the bottom for drainage, you can set up and plant a BUNCH with various blends of grains, such as oat, barley, wheat, pasture mix, clovers, etc. It can really be done with almost any greens plant, even carrots and so forth. Just make a small raised cover of hardware cloth for each about 2" above soil level, so the chooks can eat down to the wire but NOT rip up the flat itself, and rotate them out as needed.

The cover has to be on while the plants grow, so the stems go through it and the roots are protected. Of course, you can always grow them and harvest by cutting regularly and feed in a hopper, too, but the girls here seem to prefer the whole 'I GAWT IT, yank, yank, flip over backwards when it gives' process.

Amaranth is an EXCELLENT feed plant and some varieties will yield up to a pound of grain per plant. Amaranthus cruentus, I believe, is the species that is most often grown for grain. It's fast, it's easy, and loves the heat of the summer.

Millet is another one that chickens like--you can grow the thick-headed type like you see in pet stores and toss whole dried heads in for them to argue over. Good entertainment and decent feed value.

This year, I'm planning on converting my back porch into a lit growing area to help feed my 100-or-so rabbits and the chickens; it will be interesting to see how well that works.

On the grow list:
Alfalfa
Barley
Oats
Wheat
Broccoli
Kale (chickens only)
Amaranth
Carrots
Parsley
Celery
Fruitless mulberry (large pots, coppiced bushes for summer forage)
Beans
Peas
Turnips
Radishes
Beets
I'm sure there will be others but this is plenty for now!

I do want to find out if chickens and rabbits can eat passionfruit--the neighbors' vines are taking over the oak trees and there's LOTS to go round.

I also raise mealworms (which are doing remarkably well despite cooler temps than ideal) and redworms (compost worms, under the rabbits) but the darn chickens largely destroyed my worm beds over the last year or so.

Since they are now confined and not happy about it, perhaps the beds can recover now....and if they do, I can harvest and dry in summer for winter protein supplementation.

Sure wish the rabbits would eat the mealies and earthworms....or at least the chicken eggs! Hm...*kicks brain in gear*...gotta be a way, right?

 

[Sunnie daze]

I was wondering if there is a list of people foods that chickens can eat. I feed them cabbage and spinich and they love those but I would like a list of yes and no's. Is there something like that on this forum?

Thanks!

 

[kjfrogster41]

Quote:
Thanks for some great ideas. I was thinking to plant around the chicken run, to make it look more attractive as well as supplying some food for the hens. We have a HUGE problem with Japanese beetles and the chickens love to eat those. So, thought if I plant some stuff that Japanese beetles eat, like grapes and pole beans alongside the run, I could provide good protein and plants for the hens and may be get some of pesky beetles off some of our fruit trees and vines.

Comfry is another plant that my girls love. No one has mentioned it but it is rich in minerals and very easy to grow. White clover is another one. Our "lawns" are loaded with it. Clover supplys nitrogen for the soil, the flowers attract a variety of pollinators and the chickens eat the leaves and flowers.ethose

 

[trooper]

Quote:
Thanks for some great ideas. I was thinking to plant around the chicken run, to make it look more attractive as well as supplying some food for the hens. We have a HUGE problem with Japanese beetles and the chickens love to eat those. So, thought if I plant some stuff that Japanese beetles eat, like grapes and pole beans alongside the run, I could provide good protein and plants for the hens and may be get some of pesky beetles off some of our fruit trees and vines.

Comfry is another plant that my girls love. No one has mentioned it but it is rich in minerals and very easy to grow. White clover is another one. Our "lawns" are loaded with it. Clover supplys nitrogen for the soil, the flowers attract a variety of pollinators and the chickens eat the leaves and flowers.ethose


I've never did this before so wish me luck.I'm hoping to get a few different gardens around and in my coop this winter for spring.There are so many plants and veggies that you can plant that are good for the chickens and your own table.I try to get ideas from others and use a few of my own so that I can have a beautiful flower and veggy garden around and in my chickens.I have gotten ideas on how to place trees in the run so that They can't destroy the trees and will have shade and leavesto work on in the fall.Place the trees inside of your raised bed with your wire protecting the ground so that they can't dig it up.Good luck and always looking for ideas.

 

[maggiec1951]

I have always planted wheat grass for my cat - just a small amount about once a month keeps him happy. After putting his outside one day to water, I couldn't get to it fast enough before the chickens had DEVOURED IT ALL in just seconds. So now when I buy grains from the health food store I get extra wheat and plant a 2 x 2 or 3 x 3 bed and keep it covered until it is about 3-4" high - doesn't take but a few days and when they start to munch on that I plant another one on the opposite side of the yard. Didn't catch where you are from, but if it is cold, build a frame of 2 x 4s, add potting soil and seeds. For quicker germination cover with a sheet of plastic - greenhouse effect. Not sure what size you are looking to build but it is easily adaptable and my girls just love it. I buy organic which is about $1.29/lb because I use it for me but I am sure that non organic is much cheaper. I just haven't bothered to find the non organic because I don't think the organic is outrageously priced. I only have five girls but boy can they put away some chow. Had to put all my potted plants on stands 'cause they were about to take them down to nothing.