Crop Cycles with Chickens........

[MWSIFarm]

Hey guys,

I'm running a 4 bed garden system for growing food at home on our farm property. I want to include the chickens into the crop rotation but not sure on the amount of work the birds can do......... here is the story....

The crop rotation works like this.........

Summer Planted Beds:
Winter - Plant Green Manure (Oats/Mustard/Radish)
Spring - Let the Chickens in
Summer - Autumn - Plant and Harvest

Autumn Planted Beds:
Spring - Plant Green manure (Millet/Sorgum/Rapeseed/Radish)
Summer - Let Chickens in
Autumn - Winter - Plant and Harvest

Winter Planted Beds:
Summer - Plant Green Manure (Same as Autumn Beds)
Autumn - Let Chickens in
Winter - Spring - Plant and Harvest

Spring Planted Beds:
Autumn - Plant Green manure (Same as summer beds)
Winter - Let Chickens in
Spring - Summer - Harvest and plant

Im wondering how much the chickens will dig the green manure in the roughly 3 months they will have access. I will put their scraps in there as well as they can did them in and eat most of them and fertilize the ground.

Should I cut down the green manure crops first? Or even hoe the ground in a bit? Or will they just go to town on all the greenery in there and do all the work for me? (This is all still under construction so pics will be posted when I get a chance!)

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

It depends how stalky your green manure crop is. If it's got very mature I would mow it down before they go in. If it's still quite soft they will destroy it all and till in if for you. This depends on how large the area is and how many chickens you have. My chickens keep two of my garden beds essentially weed free all winter with 3-4 hours free range access.

 

[MWSIFarm]

It depends how stalky your green manure crop is. If it's got very mature I would mow it down before they go in. If it's still quite soft they will destroy it all and till in if for you. This depends on how large the area is and how many chickens you have. My chickens keep two of my garden beds essentially weed free all winter with 3-4 hours free range access.

Yeah that's kind of what I was thinking. Green manure I want to break down quick chickens on no chickens so once its at that leafy but still soft stage ill let em have at it