Developing the grass in your yard for increasing free ranging nutrition

[ChickenCanoe]

Or put shade cloth over the tank to discourage growth.
You can get it pretty cheap in the steals and deals section of FarmTek. Right now all they have is a 50% knit or less but occasionally they have 90% remnants and I like it.
https://www.farmtek.com/farm/suppli...s&breadcrumb_categoryIds=|46353&maxRecords=20

For those that are looking for things to plant for poultry pasture, I thought I'd share some ideas for seasonal plantings. In summer, buckwheat works pretty well and grows fast so if you have a short wet season it may work. It can't take a frost. For next winter, one of the hardiest things is grain rye (what is used for rye bread) - not the same as perennial or annual rye. It's more cold hardy than oats, wheat or barley that are quite hardy in their own right. Turnips, radish and Austrian peas are pretty cold hardy too.

It was so cold here this year that the henbit all died off. I'm usually overrun with it in the winter.

 

[Lacy Blues]

the are others like vetch, brassicus, and more legumes. . . . .

i planted scarlet runner beans on a fence and the birds did not eat the leaves-- made a great shady area in an otherwise hot sunny area.

That's good to know. I think I have some scarlet runner bean seeds. Need to get them planted... I think I'll sprout them first though as that really seems to hurry things up.

They are a live bearer fish much like a guppy in appearance. I use them in my livestock tanks to control mosquitoes. They multiply very quickly. They survive overwinter here in upper counties in SC.

I don't have them any more since my land lord drained my stock tanks. (Not knowing they had fish in them)

They also make great treats for the chickens.

Their scientific name is gambusia. THEY SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO ESCAPE TO LAKES OR STREAMS. They will eat the eggs of native fish instead of mosquitoes. Thus disrupting the entire ecosystem of the lake or stream.

I am in the middle of building myself a pond for some mosquito fish. They will eat the mosquito larvae and the algae and since they multiply so quickly, I'll be feeding them to my birds as well. If I get a super abundance, I may harvest and freeze them for winter use. I have plans (in my head) for winter protection so that I can keep them all year round.

Oh. I see. I need a handful of those. I thought of getting minnows from the baitshop and putting them in the pond. I have a little 100 gallon pond and mosquitos love it. I thought the tadpoles would keep them under control, but they didn't do much. I will try to find a local supplier. Thanks!

Try your local county extension office. They may have them and supply them to you for free. That's where I'm getting mine.

 

[Arielle]

The nitrogen will probably be low but you can supplement that. I would highly recommend a good soil test.
I've rented bobcats before I had one for not a lot of money.

IMHO, more succulent things like alfalfa, turnips buckwheat are much better chicken forage than grasses. Grass is the last thing standing when I move chickens into an area.

CC-- is the turnip an annual??

Quote: I have thought of this too BEE, I just don't see hte algae as a health isue, if anything it tells me the water is good and safe for drinking. For now we scrub using woven baling twine pads, and dump every day or two. Always looking for one more way to save time.

Or put shade cloth over the tank to discourage growth.
You can get it pretty cheap in the steals and deals section of FarmTek. Right now all they have is a 50% knit or less but occasionally they have 90% remnants and I like it.
https://www.farmtek.com/farm/suppli...s&breadcrumb_categoryIds=|46353&maxRecords=20

For those that are looking for things to plant for poultry pasture, I thought I'd share some ideas for seasonal plantings. In summer, buckwheat works pretty well and grows fast so if you have a short wet season it may work. It can't take a frost. For next winter, one of the hardiest things is grain rye (what is used for rye bread) - not the same as perennial or annual rye. It's more cold hardy than oats, wheat or barley that are quite hardy in their own right. Turnips, radish and Austrian peas are pretty cold hardy too.

It was so cold here this year that the henbit all died off. I'm usually overrun with it in the winter.

THanks CC-- we move the tubs to the shade for the summer to keep the water cool. Or as cool as possible.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes turnips are a one season crop. Albeit a long season and can go deep into winter.

 

[Arielle]

Yes turnips are a one season crop. Albeit a long season and can go deep into winter.

THat is what I thought.

I think I found a location where I can get them started, and control the access. A small plot of 10 x 10, but it should be useful, as you said , a long seasoned plant. THen next year plant extensively in the pasture area.

I'm glad you report the preference for these "broad leaf" plants as it adds more diversity to their diet ANd they eat up the plant not leaving it to waste come winter.

On another note-- I have been trying to eat new greens in my salads. THis year I tried the dandilion greens ( grocery ) and last year it was turnip greeens and broccali leaves.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Yay! It has been raining on the freshly seeded pasture!

Boo! Gophers have moved into the field!

 

[Beekissed]

THat is what I thought.

I think I found a location where I can get them started, and control the access. A small plot of 10 x 10, but it should be useful, as you said , a long seasoned plant. THen next year plant extensively in the pasture area.

I'm glad you report the preference for these "broad leaf" plants as it adds more diversity to their diet ANd they eat up the plant not leaving it to waste come winter.

On another note-- I have been trying to eat new greens in my salads. THis year I tried the dandilion greens ( grocery ) and last year it was turnip greeens and broccali leaves.

How did they taste?

Yay! It has been raining on the freshly seeded pasture!

Boo! Gophers have moved into the field!

Yay for rain!!! What did you seed it with again? I forgot already......I'm old that way.

You need to get Gust out there and let him hunt some gophers!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Dandilions-- bitter! Need salad dressing to mask the taste. lol Bough more today.

Turnip greens-- are just strange but doable. Edible.

Broccali leaves-- tase like brocalli!! like Rabi . . . I'm sure the spelling is off, the tiny braccali type greens.

On another noteI did find a source of white clover seeds $6 for 1 #. Tiny seeds so good amt for now!! THe store also had BUckwheat-- DH sais he has only used it as winter cover and then tilled it in. Of course I would never do that if it was edible forage. lol ANyone use buckwheat?? It was fairly cheap $27 for 9#. DH said full sun for sure. I don'thave full sun in most locations.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Yay for rain!!!  What did you seed it with again?  I forgot already......I'm old that way.     You need to get Gust out there and let him hunt some gophers! 

Oh Gust ... such a goofball. Dad freaks out if Gust try's to hunt. :/

I know for the clover we ended up getting New Zealand ... that was the last thing we picked up and that's what was available. I'm not sure what else and not sure I could get a straight answer if I asked, but I'll try.

 

[Beekissed]

Labs are great hunters and death on groundhogs, moles, voles, etc. It would be cool to let him go out there and see if he could do his thang. But then...you might want to keep the gophers as a natural prey source for predators so they will leave your chooks alone.

I think that's why folks in the 'burbs are having hawks dive bombing their chickens right in front of them, a lack of natural prey for the raptors in areas of urban sprawl, and that's why, out here in the middle of thousands of acres of forest land and possessing the only chickens for miles, I am not losing chickens to hawks and foxes. Too many squirrels and other natural game for them to feed upon.