Gardening for Chickens, 2008 - 1st report

[ILoveJoe]

I recently planted a late crop of peas and beans around the base of the covered run. I figured the chickens can have fresh veggies and a bit of shade at the same time. If successful I will plant a spring crop so they will have more for next year.

 

[digitS']

Quote:
Dennis, I've grown black tip wheat for Autumn wreath-making for a few years. Originally, the seed came from Johnny's Seed Co. I know, I know! It's an ornamental wheat but that doesn't mean chickens won't eat it

. No doubt there are higher yielding varieties, altho' it did fairly well in that regard.

Field peas are just a Pisum sativum, the garden pea. I chose the Alaska vareity because it isn't especially sweet (didn't think sugar was really needed) and because it can be planted very early in the Spring.

Johnny's also sells field pea varieties. Sometimes, cow peas and such are called field peas. It would be a good idea to be careful in purchasing seed.

Interesting article, Jashdon. Also, interesting how the British call protein, albumen. Or, they did at one time. Americans use that word almost exclusively to mean egg white.

ILoveJoe, if we have room for chickens, very likely we have room to grow a little for them in the way of food, or shade, or both

.

Steve

 

[Jashdon]

We have an acre and I would love to be able to grow crops for our chickens, even if it is just to supplement their commercial feed. I guess I just would want someone who knows a bit more about chicken nutritional requirements than I do to guide me on what to grow for out 30+ chickens. Living in western Washington, I'm sure there are plenty of things that would do well here.

Anyway, I really like this post and I hope people will continue to add their two cents on the subject so that I can benefit from all of your input!

 

[PAJerry]

I had a small trellis row of Cascadia edible podded peas and I have been feeding the chickens some that got too old to be good people food. They love them, and eat the pod and all just like we do. I've given them zucchini and spinach and lettuce and everything goes. Right now, I'm just picking the weeds that are growing rapidly in my asparagus patch and tossing them into the run. They eat all the leaves off within an hour.

For winter feeding, I have 24 Winterbor kale plants growing in a side garden. I now realize that this will never be enough for my 10 hens but it will be something. Kale is a good choice as I have read that it is high in protein as well as lots of essential vitamins. I am planning a comfrey garden next to the walkway to the coop for next year. These are perennial plants and are an excellent forage crop according to Harvey Ussery from Mother Earth News. The best variety, Bocking #4, is available only from a nursery in Canada but it is not overly expensive.

I firmly believe that a varied diet is as good for chickens as it is for people. It is this effort that will make the eggs our hens produce so much better for us when we eat them.

 

[digitS']

Perhaps it doesn't take much to scare me:

"AAFCO’s guidance to State feed control officials on March 3, 2003, follows the announcement made at AAFCO’s Annual Meeting in August 2002, that comfrey, determined to be a health and safety concern in animals, is recommended for removal from all animal feeds. . . . AAFCO’s Enforcement Strategy for Marketed Ingredients Task Force identified comfrey as the target ingredient. This Task Force based its selection on published scientific information provided by the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, an active member of AAFCO. Comfrey has been shown to cause liver damage in humans and in animals."

Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration

Steve