Gardening with chickens (and other poultry)

[snoggle]

Would anyone be interested in a section on "Gardening with Chickens"?

We could discuss ways to use chickens (or other poultry) in the garden - to eat bugs, 'till beds, etc. and discuss how to avoid problems like chickens eating garden plants that you want, etc.

 

[chickmashnoon]

if there was some way to get them to scratch in just the right places so I didn't have to till. Like, if I could somehow get them to dustbathe BETWEEN the rows rather than ON them, or to only eat the dandelions. if anyone else has figured it out, that would be great!

 

[snoggle]

if there was some way to get them to scratch in just the right places so I didn't have to till. Like, if I could somehow get them to dustbathe BETWEEN the rows rather than ON them, or to only eat the dandelions. if anyone else has figured it out, that would be great!

Yep, there is. A chicken tractor! I started a thread about how I'd like to use it in my garden on the "Feeding and Watering Your Flock" section. There are several good books about gardening with chickens too. One by Jessi Bloom and an even better one by Harvey Ussery.

 

[GardenState38]

I'm interested if anyone has ideas for a good green manure crop that the chickens will turn over for me and eat when it's ready. Clover or alfalfa? I've been eyeballing the Johnny's catalog and can't decide.

I purchased a few pounds of Chicken Forage Blend at groworganic.com to seed in my backyard where my girls range. It creates what Jessie Bloom terms as "Eco-Turf". Puts nitrogen into the soil and Omega-3's into the hens!

It consists of:
Bison intermediate ryegrass
Tetraploid perennial ryegrass
Common Flax
Buckwheat
Tetraploid annual ryegrass
Japanese millet
Red clover, OMRI approv. coating
Strawberry clover, OMRI coat
Alfalfa, OMRI coat
Ladino clover OMRI coat
Broadleaf Trefoil OMRI coat

 

[GardenState38]

We were going to plant alfalfa between all our rows and raised beds. I'm starting to think the chicken mix would be better. Would it help keep the weeds down and also still be okay to walk on?

It all depends on what you consider "weeds"

Some would call the clover, etc. that are included in the seed/forage mixes "weeds" themselves.
Since owning chickens, I've come to realize that nearly every green plant that springs up in my lawn has some value. The dandelions that drive my neighbors crazy (they all have meticulously manicured lawns, brimming in pesticides and herbicides), for instance, I see as valuable chicken chow!
I personally, don't mind if my backyard lawn (where my chickens are tractored) is completely "weed-free" and 98.9% Scott's Kentucky Bluegrass, as long as it's green when mowed and supplies my girls with maximum nutrition and enjoyment. I've always had a more informal, cottage gardening style, and have always shied away from chemical pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer use, so this type of turf fits right in with my sensibilities.
If you keep mowing and/or clipping (giving the clippings to your hens), you should be able to keep a nice, green mat that looks attractive enough.

My Pet Chicken also sells a seed mix called "Chicken Salad". I bought a bunch of packets and throughout the winter was able to keep the greens going in a cold frame (it was a very mild winter, so I don't know if it would have worked so well otherwise). It's less of a "turf" mix and more of a broadleaf mixture, with purple top turnips making up a big proportion of it (hens LOVE those leaves!)

 

[Daisy8s]

Love this thread! I saw my chickens as part of my garden when I first got them so it's nice to find others who do also.

The floor of my coop IS my compost pile. I use the deep litter method so I intentionally throw kitchen scraps into the coop where manure is the heaviest because as they scratch for the scraps they turn under fresh manure. Result = no smell!

This spring I cleaned out the coop and got EIGHT wheelbarrow loads of compost/bedding. It was such a healthy compost pile I even found live earthworms near the bottom! Amazing. Here's my question. Sometimes I read that chicken manure can go directly onto the garden and other times I read that it should be composted. What do you all do with fresh bedding?

I just finished making a rabbit tractor to mow my lawn. It's 6x2 and has two rabbits (real Easter bunnies for my boys!). I made it narrow enough to go between my raised beds as it was a pain to maneuver the mower between them. I don't need a perfectly manicured lawn so as long as the bunnies keep it reasonably mowed down I'll be happy. And...free fertilizer!

Here's a hint for those planting new shrubs this spring. I cut off the bottom of gallon milk jugs and put the little twig inside it. Tall ones might poke out the opening at the top. This protected my shrubs both from the chickens eating their tender leaves and from frost.

 

[farmer9989]

Have you noticed the Mosquitos are already out! Here is a homemade trap to help keep you and the kiddos from being a blood donor!!!

HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP:
Items needed:
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 gram of yeast
1 2-liter bottle

HOW:
1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.)

Change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control.

haven't tried this but ya never know

 

[bnjrob]

Sounds good to me. I thought I saw some pics posted of integrating poultry with gardens on another thread- fascinating stuff.

 

[crazychickenwom]

I would love to hear more about this! Give it to us snoggle!

 

[snoggle]

Well who do we talk to in order to get a section on this started???