Cover crops and chickens

[PioneerChicks]

Does anybody grow cover crops and give the grains to the chickens? Can you grow it in the chicken pens or will they eat it all prematurely?
I'm new to cover crops so please correct me if I've got something wrong.

 

[Weeg]

I bought a bunch of cover crop from HighMowingSeeds recently for my chickens.
I got-

Field peas and oats mix
Hairy vetch
Shorgum

All beneficial stuff, I'm wait for it to start sprouting.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I’d think most folks let their flock graze on the plants, not the seeds, from cover crops, although there’s no harm in growing and harvesting seeds.

Plants will not grow in the run uneaten /scratched unless you protect them from the birds. A grazing frame or fence ring, etc would do the trick.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

^^^^ both good posts.
I put down cover crops in the pasture where my birds free range, the firs tyear, before I had chickens - then let them go to seed and naturally establish. In a small area (say a yard), a small number of chickens will absolutely demolish it.

In a large enough area (say an acre and a half), even 50 chickens can't do so much damage that you lose it all - assuming you also feed them. But if you put down fresh seed - 10#, 20#, 50# at a time and can't keep your birds contained until it establishes?? Don't be surprised if they don't hunt down almost every seed you scatter, in spite of having plenty of green to eat.