Anyone plant crops for chickens

[U_Stormcrow]

I just posted this in another thread....

 

[dearmeghann]

They're obsessed with pineapple sage! We have two large plants right by their coop. Hilariously enough, the older girls only want us to hand-feed it to them. The little ones jump at it!

They love oregano and thyme. We try to keep those in a pot so they don't eat them all in one sitting. And I've spread a bunch of clover all over. I also got a cover-crop fodder mix off of Amazon, but I haven't seen them go after it as much as the deer.

 

[eikome]

Anyone plant vegetables or herbs etc for their chickens?

I don't plant things for them specifically, but I do pick them things from my garden. Kale, cabbage, lettuce, and chard leaves that have slug holes in them. "Weeds" like lambs quarters they absolutely love. Strawberries and raspberries that are bug damaged or squished. Cukes and zukes and summer squash when I just have too many or that I've let grow just a little too big (they love the seeds inside.) Whenever there's something good I just don't want to eat for whatever reason, the hens get it instead of the compost pile.

 

[aimee750]

Of course they get the garden rejects and scraps but I do have a seperate section that I call the animal garden. It is 25x50 and this year has sunflowers, dent corn, pumpkins, patty pan squash and field peas.

 

[sals_chicks]

We have done a bunch of chicken safe planting, and weed relocation specifically for the chickens... We have lots of mugwart and wood sorrel, so we have transplanted that all along the perimeter of our chicken yard, and harvest from it regularly for them - they go crazy for it! I also toss them dandelion leaves often.

I plant a bunch of herb pots in the spring, and then rotate a pot or two into the chicken yard for them to pick at... Lots of basil, rosemary, thyme, parsely, various leafy things (lettuce, etc) and even some marigold...

This year I planted some lemon grass in the chicken yard - it is currently fenced off with some chicken wire until it gets established, but hoping they can pick at that all summer long after a couple years.

In the fall I let them munch on my decorative chrysanthemums and pumpkins.

I like adding things that are safe for them to munch on. And it does give them enrichment.

 

[napachickengal]

Anyone plant vegetables or herbs etc for their chickens?

absolutely - you couldn't pay me enuf to eat a cucumber, unless it's a pickle; however I have two plants for my girls. Same w/kale

 

[Redhds]

Anyone plant vegetables or herbs etc for their chickens?

Yes! We have 10 organic raised beds and one section is devoted to our eight girls since they can’t free range. We live deep in the woods of NW CT with many predators so the garden allows them to add nutritious greens to their diet.

This spring we started organic seeds of spinach, lettuce, dill, basil, rosemary, cilantro, marjoram, parsley, carrots, lavender and nasturtiums. It’s fun to pick a little variety each day, midx it up and then watch their delight when I bring in the big salad bowl. I also tuck them into a fun hanging greens holder they peck at.

Fresh grass clippings is another favorite treat on lawn mowing day. We also gather lightly spent rose petals to sprinkle on their dust bath and in their salad bowl too. We are careful their primary diet is organic feed and the veggies are a natural secondary treat.

 

[Bsmac]

Kale.

They also like other stuff from the garden, but the Kale is just for them. They love it and it's extremely healthy.

Absolutely! They love it! I also give them what is left after harvesting cabbage another favorite! Any greens are loved!

 

[Bsmac]

Absolutely! They love it! I also give them what is left after harvesting cabbage another favorite! Any greens are loved!

When they see me coming with greens it becomes a stampede lol