Chickens sad now. Gardening is over and here comes old cold winter!

[edible_chicken]

Gardening season has been finished for most part other than my tomato plants. They have been heavy producers all season long, that is until last weeks heavy frost. So I picked what was left/good and dug up the plants. As i was digging them up, my chickens had the saddest look as they stood by the garden. They looked so sad (big mama was upset and squawking) They couldn't believe I was digging up the plants. They were so pitiful that even I started to feel sad. I had let them eat tomatoes past month and now they don't know what to do since the garden is gone.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Aw, poor chickens. Mine always go into shock at the beginning of their first winter. They don't know what the heck all that snow is, they miss the grass and they're never experienced cold like that before. They are so happy when spring comes again! I guess they thought they were in a permanent ice age.

After the first full year, they take it all in stride. Maybe you could do some wheat grass or sprouts for them. Maybe not as good as tomatoes, but they might like it.

 

[sheaviance1]

plant a cover crop of winter rye, they'll be happy again

 

[darkmatter]

When I enlarged my Chicken run a couple years ago, I built it to share a fence with the garden. Best thing I ever done. I now can let the chickens into the garden in the fall/winter to glean/clean/till/fertilize for me. It only takes a light tilling in the spring to prepare the seedbed and the garden has increased it's production tremendously.