Foraging seed safe for poultry AND horses?

[Nicho]

Looking to seed my free range area this month! Having difficulty picking out a good all-around foraging seed for my poultry that wouldn’t be harmful to my horses if they snacked on it while walking by.

Context: this area is dedicated for my poultry and their foraging needs. My horses only walk through this area on the way to and from their paddock, and they will snack on the forage at any given opportunity while walking through.

Anyone know a go-to seed for that type of situation? Thanks in advance

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'm not in your growing Zone - well south of you in fact. Horses and Chickens have considerably different nutritional needs, you aren'g going to find great overlap.
That said, when I started my (chicken, eventually goats) pasture I began with Nature's Seed pasture mix for my region, then overseeded with higher protein plants (mostly legumes like several kinds of clovers, some radishes to break up the soils, etc).

Here (I think) is yours from that MFG.
25% Orchardgrass
25% Kentucky Bluegrass
20% Perennial Ryegrass
20% Timothy
10% Alfalfa
None of those are problems for your birds, and it will give some good cover while you establish more delicate plants.

For comparison, here is the same MFGs poultry mix for your region.
20% White Dutch Clover
20% Strawberry Clover
20% Hairy Vetch
15% Alfalfa
15% Field Pea
10% Common Flax

Depening on how much area you want to cover, you might consider a bag of each, then see what establishes itself. You can also wait till after deer season is done and grab a discount bag of feed plot stuff (thought it tends to be pretty expensive, even discounted, simply because it says "deer") and throw that down. This fall, throw a "no till" cover crop.
and remember, no matter what you put down, if your birds can get to it, they will consume the seed before it sprouts.

 

[Nicho]

I'm not in your growing Zone - well south of you in fact. Horses and Chickens have considerably different nutritional needs, you aren'g going to find great overlap.
That said, when I started my (chicken, eventually goats) pasture I began with Nature's Seed pasture mix for my region, then overseeded with higher protein plants (mostly legumes like several kinds of clovers, some radishes to break up the soils, etc).

Here (I think) is yours from that MFG.
25% Orchardgrass
25% Kentucky Bluegrass
20% Perennial Ryegrass
20% Timothy
10% Alfalfa
None of those are problems for your birds, and it will give some good cover while you establish more delicate plants.

For comparison, here is the same MFGs poultry mix for your region.
20% White Dutch Clover
20% Strawberry Clover
20% Hairy Vetch
15% Alfalfa
15% Field Pea
10% Common Flax

Depening on how much area you want to cover, you might consider a bag of each, then see what establishes itself. You can also wait till after deer season is done and grab a discount bag of feed plot stuff (thought it tends to be pretty expensive, even discounted, simply because it says "deer") and throw that down. This fall, throw a "no till" cover crop.
and remember, no matter what you put down, if your birds can get to it, they will consume the seed before it sprouts.

Thanks so much! This helps tons. I appreciate it!