cover crops for chickens

[ChickenCanoe]

https://www.usu.edu/weeds/plant_species/weedspecies/cheatgrass.html

 

[tbunyard]

How big is your yard? Do you want to maintain somewhat of a resemblance to lawn, or are you ok with a wilder, meadow/mixed shrub type of yard? Will your front yard be used for any type of family recreation? White clover mixes into lawns well, attracts lots of pollinators. (can be an issue with young kids who like to romp and play) Give more details about available space, soil type, sun exposure, dry/wet spots, do you have time or water available to take care of dry soil issues?

we live deep in the woods with a couple of acres yard cut out of the trees with our home in it. woods on 3 sides with a steep hillside down to a pond on the other. soil is a sandy loam, full sun, waters not a problem, no wet or dry spots. whole yards on a pretty good slope. I do want to keep it somewhat like a yard, I just want something more nutritious than grass, something that draws in insects, something thick enough to withstand the chickens abuse, and something that will volunteer every year if possible.

 

[tbunyard]

I have planted it. All things in moderation.
There are some issues with common vetch.
http://articles.extension.org/pages/67052/feeding-common-vetch-to-poultry

Crown vetch is potentially toxic. However, if given enough forage options, they'll avoid the ones they shouldn't eat.

ok I was leaning towards hairy vetch

 

[lazy gardener]

I can tell you what I do in my yard. I have 4+ acres, about 2 of it cleared. Typical lawn around the house and towards the road. However, lots of clover, mostly white, some red. Lots of weeds, predominantly creeping charlie, violets, dandelion, some burdock. I don't sweat what happens in the lawn. That's hubby's domain. If it's green and he can mow it, we're happy. The grass clippings go into the chicken run, on garden beds, in compost, on hugelkulture mound, lasagna beds, etc. Never enough grass clippings to meet my needs. And every mowing yields about 10 bags. I've concentrated on landscaping that provides both beauty and edible benefit for man and beast. Put in an orchard last summer: Apple, apricot, plum, nut, high bush cranberry, elderberry, grapes, seedling pear, june berry. Have blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Also planted Bocking #14 comfrey for both green manure/mulch and chicken fodder (it's reported to be sterile, so not invasive, and 30% protein, mines minerals from deep subsoil.) Siberian Pea tree shrub: grows about 10' tall can be trained as a tree or allowed to be more shrubby. Produces a yellow flower followed by small pods with starchy, non sweet "peas". They taste a bit like a field pea, or like a very over-ripe garden pea. I believe they are 36% protein. The plant is a nitrogen fixer. At lawn edges, perennial weed growth is rampant. Goldenrod, aster, even some volunteer elderberry, wild primrose which is a wonderful plant to lure Japanese beetles away from my crops. I make a tour of the yard on a regular basis collecting beetles to feed to the chickens. Unfortunately, for the past 2 years, I have hawk predation like you wouldn't believe. They sit in the trees and taunt me on a daily basis. So, chickens are in a covered run. I bring the treats to them. Prior to last summer, they free ranged all day, every day. They followed me around the yard as I knocked the JB's down for them. It's my intent to let the chickens patrol the garden in off season, and also work the orchard. It remains to be seen if I can do that and still keep the birds alive.

 

[Folly's place]

YES!!! Mixed plantings, lots of good stuff, no herbicides. Mary

 

[centrarchid]

A mixed planting including some non-toxic legumes is what I have. It is not just about plant species, you can also manipulate how it is managed by mowing or even grazing. I like in strips with close cut areas interspersed with tall and intermediate strips. Also consider brom or timothy as heavy cover. Hawks will not go after adult chickens in a mature stand of that stuff. Strips also help chickens get at insect drift.

 

[tbunyard]

I can tell you what I do in my yard. I have 4+ acres, about 2 of it cleared. Typical lawn around the house and towards the road. However, lots of clover, mostly white, some red. Lots of weeds, predominantly creeping charlie, violets, dandelion, some burdock. I don't sweat what happens in the lawn. That's hubby's domain. If it's green and he can mow it, we're happy. The grass clippings go into the chicken run, on garden beds, in compost, on hugelkulture mound, lasagna beds, etc. Never enough grass clippings to meet my needs. And every mowing yields about 10 bags. I've concentrated on landscaping that provides both beauty and edible benefit for man and beast. Put in an orchard last summer: Apple, apricot, plum, nut, high bush cranberry, elderberry, grapes, seedling pear, june berry. Have blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Also planted Bocking #14 comfrey for both green manure/mulch and chicken fodder (it's reported to be sterile, so not invasive, and 30% protein, mines minerals from deep subsoil.) Siberian Pea tree shrub: grows about 10' tall can be trained as a tree or allowed to be more shrubby. Produces a yellow flower followed by small pods with starchy, non sweet "peas". They taste a bit like a field pea, or like a very over-ripe garden pea. I believe they are 36% protein. The plant is a nitrogen fixer. At lawn edges, perennial weed growth is rampant. Goldenrod, aster, even some volunteer elderberry, wild primrose which is a wonderful plant to lure Japanese beetles away from my crops. I make a tour of the yard on a regular basis collecting beetles to feed to the chickens. Unfortunately, for the past 2 years, I have hawk predation like you wouldn't believe. They sit in the trees and taunt me on a daily basis. So, chickens are in a covered run. I bring the treats to them. Prior to last summer, they free ranged all day, every day. They followed me around the yard as I knocked the JB's down for them. It's my intent to let the chickens patrol the garden in off season, and also work the orchard. It remains to be seen if I can do that and still keep the birds alive.

thanks very helpful

 

[lazy gardener]

thanks very helpful

YVW.