I'm dubious as to whether, after buying the seed, you'll save any money doing this but it is more healthy for those chickens that can't otherwise get anything green to eat.
Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!
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I just read that with great interest. Wonder if that could work here in Ohio? Any advice for hogs?
Great article!! I've always planted for my birds. For the show Silkies, who were kept up in coops, I planted rye and kale seed in shallow pans. Fill with dirt up to 2" from the top. Sow seed, and put 1/2 hardware cloth over the top. The greens come up through the mesh , and the birds can't kill the greens by digging them up, or over grazing. I kept rotating the pans, so that they always had new greens all winter long. The big Orps get out and really mow the greens that I overseed. Right now, they are pigging out on fallen pears.
Great article! One question, what kind of kale do you plant? There's Muranaka, Lacinato, Siberian Curly, and other types of kale so I'm not sure which one is working for you.
I've been thinking about getting these: http://parkseed.com/product.aspx?p=05733-PK-P1&gclid=CKmv-Jrf8bECFSaCtgodaAcAWw
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How do you grow it planters in the winter time? I do not have green thumb but would like to try this.
Thank you everyone. Pastured is what I was trying to think of. I sell them as backyard eggs, but I wanted to call them something else in addition since they aren't penned in a little backyard coop, they do have freedom to go where they choose. Besides, maybe pastured will confuse some of the silly people who think only things that are pasteurized are safe, lol.
Great article hallfamilyfarm. I wasn't able to grow squat here this spring/summer, way too hot and dry. It's finally cooled off, although we are still waiting on the rain so I've been thinking of trying a fall/winter garden for the first time ever for both us and the birds.
Great article hallfamilyfarm. I wasn't able to grow squat here this spring/summer, way too hot and dry. It's finally cooled off, although we are still waiting on the rain so I've been thinking of trying a fall/winter garden for the first time ever for both us and the birds.
The easiest way to get an answer to how, what and when to plant winter pasture is to contact your county cooperative extension service office. You can locate it by searching your state name and cooperative extension.
Example: Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service or Ohio Cooperative Extension Service etc.
The extension service should be able to direct you to an expert on winter pasture in your state.
Example: Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service or Ohio Cooperative Extension Service etc.
The extension service should be able to direct you to an expert on winter pasture in your state.
I collected about a dozen eggs my customer's hen had hidden in a front yard nest - customer was going to throw them in the trash. I took them home, ate them. They were addicting, I bought chicks in March the next year, when the feed store got them. My birds have access to my fenced yard to free range, too dangerous to let them go farther. but my eggs are so much better than "coop eggs" even from local producers. Those tasty bugs seem to make the difference.
I now raise mealworms to keep them in tasty bugs in winter.
I now raise mealworms to keep them in tasty bugs in winter.
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I call it free range. I think it all depends on your stocking numbers. If you are stocking one acre with 100 birds, I'd call it pasture raised as they are on pasture but not necessarily enjoying much individual freedom or space...and the forage will be pretty picked over.
If you are stocking almost a whole acre with only 20 birds and they have an additional 2 acres to bleed over on, I call that free range. Chickens won't range much over 2-3 acres anyway, so freedom is relative to space and ability to roam the available space, IMO. They will have adequate forage that will provide constant protein and greens off their range...and that is what is relevant for your eggs and the advertising thereof, isn't it?
The days of absolute free range are rare unless you live on huge ranches out west, so I consider a chicken getting to roam as far as they would naturally go anyway as being about as free as it gets.
It has been a while since I have been on, Bee has it on the nose! We are on an acre of land, I let my chickens out every morning, some roam around the back of the coop under the trees, some go under the shed. But most come up to the deck & hang out under there & under the stairs. I have another broody BO, and this one is sitting on eggs under the stairs of our deck. Been there for over a week, keep tossing food to her, and have a waterer near her, and she has not moved.
Hey Bee, am not having much luck with this years chicks I bought from the feed store this spring. Lost a Cuckoo to Chicken Pox last week, 3 weeks ago, a New Hampshire, may have been the heat, even though I have water all over for them & go out a few times during the day & refresh the water or hose them down. Last month I found one of the SLW had passed, and she was right by the water container. (I am using the ACV, nothing has changed, except the heat) We got two ducklings the first week of June, they can hold their own with the chickens.
I Hope everyone's chickens make it through this hot summer!
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