Feeding chickens from the garden

[Ifitaintbroke]

Planning a garden this year, and I want to grow food for the flock. Problem is, I don't have a huge amount of room (less than 1 acre). What can plant that will meet the most of their nutritional requirements? I can plant corn. Also I don't have a tractor, so this is all by hand for the most part.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Sunflowers seeds, pumpkins, and like clovery grasses would my recommendations.

 

[Penpal]

If you plant corn, plant blue corn. The closest to wild is always going to have more nutrition, and blue corn, or Hopi blue corn is the closest to wild. Corn does not like having wet feet, it does well in a sandy loam. It is also a heavy feeder so consider putting compost where the corn grows.

Sunflower seeds. They will eventually look beautiful and you can grow pole beans with them. The beans are for you. Plantain is very good and probably grows in your lawn. A little clover in their run, or your lawn.

 

[Sally PB]

What are you goals? Trying to feed your chickens totally from what you can grow will be difficult. Growing protein is the most problematic. Plant proteins are often incomplete, so you need to mix and match to get the full spectrum of amino acids, especially methionine.

If you're trying to save money, you can certainly do that. Think about growing things that feed you and your chickens. My chickens and I like butternut squash. I pick a few leaves here and there, chop them up, and give them to the chickens. They like the seeds and guts, and the cooked squash.

If your soil needs improving, a patch of alfalfa will help. It fixes nitrogen, and alfalfa hay is something chickens like to scratch around and eat. One caveat: once established, it can be difficult to kill without using herbicides. I planted a large area of alfalfa and three years on, I'm still whacking at some tenacious plants every spring.

 

[Penpal]

Alfalfa is considered the best pasture plant. But, it does not compete well with grass. Over time, grass will dominate.

 

[Sally PB]

Alfalfa is considered the best pasture plant. But, it does not compete well with grass. Over time, grass will dominate.

Thanks, I didn't know that. We sure have some tenacious grasses in our fields.

 

[Perris]

What can plant that will meet the most of their nutritional requirements?

If you will allow them to forage in your acre, go for maximum diversity of local plants, and they will attract a diverse range of insects and other fauna, flora and funga, all of which your chickens will enjoy and benefit from, both for nutrition and exercise rummaging around in it, looking for fresh food on the move or actively growing. I would suggest that rather than aiming to meet most of their nutritional requirements, aim to grow plants that will bring what you can't buy in the shops - their natural insect foods - into your acre. Many 'weeds' are nutritious too, especially for the micronutrients they need, and chickens instinctively know what is and what isn't good eating.

 

[CloneFly]

My chickens enjoyed (and temporarily decimated) my kale patch. Kale is also very hardy and grows back again and again and is full of healthy vitamins! Sweet potato greens too!

 

[Ifitaintbroke]

If you will allow them to forage in your acre, go for maximum diversity of local plants, and they will attract a diverse range of insects and other fauna, flora and funga, all of which your chickens will enjoy and benefit from, both for nutrition and exercise rummaging around in it, looking for fresh food on the move or actively growing. I would suggest that rather than aiming to meet most of their nutritional requirements, aim to grow plants that will bring what you can't buy in the shops - their natural insect foods - into your acre. Many 'weeds' are nutritious too, especially for the micronutrients they need, and chickens instinctively know what is and what isn't good eating.

Very good points.

 

[Red Mangrove]

It's a long term investment but I would recommend growing fruit trees. Flying Dragons would both feed and protect your chickens