Eating Grass????

[macadam8157]

Was wanting to grow a grass bed inside the run I'm soon to build and was curious if anyone knew if there is a certain type of grass that chickens like more than others???

 

[Amyh]

I don't think they care what type of grass... but they probably will never let it grow. They eat it faster than it can grow.

 

[akcharlie1960]

Try putting a square or 2 of sod down and put enough upside down plastic coke crates over it to cover the squares. The chooks will only eat the grass that grows thru the crates and won't scratch up the roots.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I've often wondered which grasses chickens prefer. If they haven't been getting any green feed and they're starving for grass, they'll eat anything they can get. I know they'll eat typical lawn grasses, wheat grass and oat grass.

I always thought if I ever had some spare time and energy, it would be interesting to do a taste test with pots of different grasses in the run. They free range during the growing season, but I have them confined to the run a lot starting in late fall through late winter/early spring, because of hawks. They don't have any guardians anymore.

They also love dark leafy greens like chard, kale, collards, spinach, leaf lettuce, beet greens, turnip greens, mustard, chickweed, purslane, clover and alfalfa.

 

[macadam8157]

I saw someone who had a great idea with a salad bar type grass area sectioned off and covered in chicken wire. I was gonna duplicate that or try. Just can't decide what to grow in there.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Be careful with sod becuase so much of it was grown with pesticides..do a search for salad bar. You can easily buy different types of grains and legumes and plant them in the salad bar style really cheap and always have grass for your chickens.

 

[DaveBeaty]

Try Bermuda, foxtails, and crabgrass.

No, seriously. Most people complain that they can't get rid of these types of weed grass, so maybe they can stand up to chickens.

 

[Saltysteele]

mine haven't asked for anything specifically

 

[schellie69]

This is what I am planting in my salad bar
http://www.groworganic.com/omega-3-chicken-forage-blend-irrigated.html

 

[macadam8157]

Quote:
do you know how tall this will grow?