Feeding greens

[ghostwarrior]

Hi I was wondering if this kind of setup in my chicken run works good because it is completely dirt

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes, looks perfect. What do you have planted in there?

 

[Connie Sherrie]

I love that idea! I'm gonna have to try this!

 

[ghostwarrior]

i will be planting milo and some bluegrass

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wouldn't bother with the bluegrass. It's just my opinion but other than the occasional nibble, my chickens seem to avoid grasses. There are other good pasture things depending on where you live and the season. Alfalfa, clovers, radish, beets, turnips, buckwheat, field peas, etc..

 

[aggiemae]

I have been trying to figure something like this to get the insect populating back up in the protected foraging area What a great idea! Especially since you can cover one bed and recover it while they use the other. The good thing about grass is that it does attract worms so I will try mixed seeds first.

 

[rje ma]

When I cut my grass I dump a bucket of newly cut grass.
They go crazy scratching through it for the bugs!

 

[Michael Apple]

Hi I was wondering if this kind of setup in my chicken run works good because it is completely dirt

The more room they have in the yard, the more grasses or something you seed can survive. The setup pictured wouldn't last long if they had unlimited access to it. I'm fortunate to have enough land to not be concerned with this. When the grass is brown and dry in Summer, I give them kale, chard, spinach, and tomatoes occasionally from the garden to supplement the absence of vegetation.

 

[aggiemae]

The more room they have in the yard, the more grasses or something you seed can survive. The setup pictured wouldn't last long if they had unlimited access to it. I'm fortunate to have enough land to not be concerned with this. When the grass is brown and dry in Summer, I give them kale, chard, spinach, and tomatoes occasionally from the garden to supplement the absence of vegetation.

We can grow cover crops without watering from September to May but they would sprout and grow faster in shallow raised beds than in our heavy clay soil. I was thinking I would build three 4'X8' boxes out of 2x4's between the two rows of fruit trees in our side yard. I could cover two and keep one opened. When the open one is spent, I would reseed it cover it and uncover another one.

 

[ghostwarrior]

i dont think you un cover it i was gonna leave the top on it the screen is just so they cant get down to the root kind of like a mower