Fastest growing plants that a chicken will eat?

[centrarchid]

Another plant I am toying with as chicken feed is duckweed, actual species I do not know. Once it gets going you can harvest about 1/4 of the biomass everyday and it can keep up. The chickens are really partial to it when presented as a ball in their water bowls.

 

[dunnmom]

Duckweed. Not even kidding. Fastest growing green thing I've ever seen.

 

[Nats Chickens]

Another plant I am toying with as chicken feed is duckweed, actual species I do not know. Once it gets going you can harvest about 1/4 of the biomass everyday and it can keep up. The chickens are really partial to it when presented as a ball in their water bowls.

Duckweed. Not even kidding. Fastest growing green thing I've ever seen.

I think Duckweed might be a noxtious plant here in Australia, which means we aren't allowed to grow it.

 

[Pugsabi]

My test zone is a field in the foothills of the south bay area, San Jose, CA, in the vicinity of Alum Rock Park. The farm is right next to the park - fun fact - California's oldest municipal park. I met two very kind Germans that are allowing me to test my concept on their field, this is the wikipedia on location.

The idea is to experiment with various plants that would grow in this climate, quickly. They would be fertilized by poop and have an auto-water system that drives the poop in regular intervals into the soil, thereby also amending it. It's not the best soil for those familiar with this area, but plenty of stuff grows here.

The climate of my trial is arbitrary; the technique I am hoping to develop can be applied to any substrate or soil, indoor or outdoor. I'm starting with a field of dreams though, around 30 free range ladies, full sun, and one friendly rooster.

I would think it would have to be plants that like soil high in nitrogen, otherwise there plants would burn out. Interesting experiment.

 

[Pugsabi]

BOSS, Black oil Sunflower seeds germinate pretty quickly even though the chickens might eat then before they get to any great size.

 

[dunnmom]

Mine like water hyacinth, too, which also spreads fast. But, harder than duckweed to grow year round, and it's more picky about it's water supply. Some people think it's toxic, but they are thinking of the soil dwelling hyacinth. My chickens also like sprouts. BOSS and bean sprouts are their favorites and can easily and quickly be done in Mason jars with a mesh screen where the lid would go.

 

[dunnmom]

I think Duckweed might be a noxtious plant here in Australia, which means we aren't allowed to grow it.

Sorry to hear that. Chickens love it!

 

[crowdofmyself]

Kudzu comes to mind...that stuff takes over, and I know it's edible. (I'm kidding about the kudzu, sort of. It's known as the weed that ate the South.) Hardy kiwis grow quickly and are perennial. They have a tendency to drop fruit, so if you planted some that would grow up over the chickens, they'd have fun with that. I don't know how a chayote would hold up to chickens, but they really put out the greenery and are perennial as well if you mulch them well in the winter. I have no idea if chickens can eat any of these, but they grow fast.

 

[sonomacluck]

Similar thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/good-bushes-to-plant-for-chickens.542354/

 

[glib]

for medium size plants, it is hard to go wrong with one of several C4 plants, particularly amaranth, because it is both C4 and leafy, as opposed to sorghum and corn (sorghum is also toxic when young). There are always pole beans, growing like beans. It is best to give them plants that have started photosynthesis (much older than 14 days from seedin), not just sprouts, because the mineral content shifts to Mg, K and Ca which supplements better a grain based feed.