Getting lots of spring greens---anyone else eating their weeds?

[flowerchild59]

I was out cleaning up the hosta beds and came up with a 5 gallon bucket of dandlions, henbit, and chickweed. I am not letting the hens run loose in early spring because the hostas are pipping out of the ground and I don't want them eaten. And I know they don't know a hosta from a weed so they are locked up for the next month or so. Then we will see if they behave. Otherwise I will get out the portable pen and start dragging that thing around the field behind the house.
The girls went crazy for their bucket of greens. I confess I kept some of the dandelions for dinner. I love them lightly sauteed with olive oil, onion, garlic and a splash of balsalmic vinegar. Yummo to the tenth degree.

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/lamam.htm

 

[Mahonri]

I don't know that I've ever eaten dandelions but they sound delish anyway.

My girls get fresh cut grass about once a week... they love it.

 

[GallusGal]

Our whole yard is pretty much weeds, and most of my critters AND me have been eating our hearts out! Plantain, dandelion, chickweed, henbit, white clover, violet, you name it. I give it to the birds, the tortoises, the iguanas, the rabbits, the uromastyx... it's basically FREE PRODUCE for several months and I love it!

 

[Noymira]

Quote:
hope I'm not hi-jacking the thread but, when you say fresh cut grass do you mean mower cut? When I was growing up and had a horse we used to mow our riding ring, but used an old spinning blade mower, not a gas powered one. Do you have to worry about any gas residue that might end up on the grass?

 

[IlovemyPeep&mypeeps]

My husband and I haven't mowed yet this season so there are plenty of weeds in the backyard to choose from. I love going out there, pulling up a handful and tossing it to the chickens.
I also like how they keep their own fence line "mowed" around their run.

good girls

 

[ScissorChick]

Ours dont eat any of our weeds

We weeded 3 flower beds, gave them some

of the weeds, they pecked it, then lost interest. Guess our weeds ain't good enough

for em' haha

 

[GarlicEater]

I give lots of greens to my gals every day. Collard, chard, which we grow on purpose, plus stuff that just happens like "wild lettuce" (which I think is a milkweed) amaranth, grass, etc. They eat a surprising amount of greens.

 

[gdplum]

...My BW (beautiful wife) gathers a 5 gallon bucket of weeds every day...and gives to our hens. The hens watch for her and when they see her walking towards the chicken pen, they (hens) all gather at the gate. They love the greens which consists of dandelions, square stems, and whatever is growing wild on our property. The eggs shells are rock hard as a result of their continuing diet of greenery.

 

[viviob]

Mine love weeds also. I'll have start saving some for the dinner table.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

My wife says that whatever her favorite plants are, that is what they chickens run right to. In actuality they roam and take a bite of everything so they do not destroy any one specific plant but do scratch at and bite at every single one. So funny, even when the wife is scowling