Greens/Food Other than Chicken Feed for Vacation?

[rudimyers]

I have two Australorps - Bob and Henrietta. They live in a 8X8X8 Lowe's resin shed with an attached 8X8X6 (6 is height) run. The birds usually free roam. When we go out of town, I worry about them so keep them "cooped" up. Of course, there isn't much grass in the run. I'm sure they are ok with the feed only but how can I put grass/lettuce/food other than chicken feed in the run for them? Also, is there a way to look up chicken babysitters? We will be at the beach this summer for a week and a half, and I REALLY don't want them cooped up for that long. They put themselves to "bed" around 8:ish.

 

[Tripp16]

I just take whatever Im going to feed them (treats) while Im gone put it in the fridge and tell my chicken sitter to just put it in the run when they let them out in the morning. I have a container for each day already made up so they dont have to do it.

Other than that not sure how you could put stuff in the run and leave it without it spoiling...

Sorry if I wasnt much help.

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

I have an idea I have not tried yet so don't know for sure if it will work! But I thought about planting some seeds in a corner of the pen and covering the bed with a raised 1/4" hardware cloth screen (or making a raised bed and laying screen over it). I picture sprouts that are tall and narrow growing through the screen, and the birds could nibble on them without damaging the roots, so the plants would keep growing. I am thinking of things like grains that would sprout grasses--or anything they'd like to eat that would grow through the screen and not get trapped underneath it. Do you think it would work?

 

[nuchickontheblock]

Mrs. Mucket,
I saw someone had posted that recently. look for a thread on chicken gardens and you might find it.

 

[nuchickontheblock]

found that thread under chicken salad bar. Check out the pics! Awesome .. .

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=67374

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

Quote:
Wow, that is an AMAZING chicken village! [envy-envy-envy] I will have to look at it some more. And yes those grass planters are just the concept I was thinking about! Now I can see that it will work

Thanks, Nuchick!

 

[rudimyers]

Wow. I am blown away by that chicken village. I love the salad bar idea. I will have to make a smallish one because of the side of the run but that looks very do-able. Thank you all for responding to this.