Chicken Gardens?

[SplashyDashyChicksHatchi]

Hello everyone(who views this post)!
I've been looking into gardening and farming articles - quite extensively I may add - that have awakened my country/southern origins!
I have also discovered 'chicken gardens'. Assuming I am correct, these are gardens filled with herbs, veggies, and all sorts of goodies your chickens love to eat.
My mother and I just recently went to tractor supply and home depot and got purple and red potatoes, garlic, sweet mint, cherry tomatoes and golden cherry tomatoes, and basil.
I know that chickens can eat basil and mint calms them down, but can I get a bit more information from experienced chicken owners and gardeners about what uses these plants have? Can/will chickens eat them?
I would also appreciate some more gardening tips and information if you've got it! Thanks!
Happy travels!

 

[citykitty]

I'm keeping an eye on this post! Any articles you've really liked?

 

[rosemarythyme]

You're probably going to get mixed feedback because everyone has heard different things or has differing opinions on various plants. Tomato leaves are supposedly poisonous to chickens, but they can eat tomatoes. Some people use garlic for worming and pest control but I'm one of those "no garlic/onions for animals" people. I don't know about potato leaves... I know green potato skins are poisonous, period, but I don't think chickens could get to eating those without someone giving it to them.

What my chickens enjoy are tomatoes, peaches, melons, some summer squashes (especially the innards), pea leaves, carrot tops, broccoli and cauliflower leaves, parsley, kale, spinach (kale and spinach can interfere with calcium absorption so I try to keep it minimal, but they really love it). I used to have garden beds in my run (fenced with chicken wire and bird netting) and the chickens could have anything they could reach between the wire.

 

[lazy gardener]

My advice: Grow a nice garden for yourself. Grow what YOU like to eat. Share the surplus with your chooks.

 

[citykitty]

At the end of our gardening season before we take the deer fence down, I'm going to let them in to eat whatever. It's the deers' favorite time of the year, when we take the fencing down and the buffet is open! They mow all of the plants down and it's easier to till.

 

[SplashyDashyChicksHatchi]

Thanks for all the feedback! I know most herbs are good for specific areas of the coop(mint for nesting, etc.) but I didn't know about potato skins being poisonous. I also like the idea of growing 'a people-food garden' and it definitely sounds more convenient than buying only greens and tomatoes and hoping my chickens get more varied cravings. Happy travels!