Greens & veg for chickens?

[hikaribug]

Hi all,

I have three hens that are just coming into lay. They're kept in a run and don't range, and are fed on a complete layers pellet feed with occasional extra treats.
Initially they were on grass but they made short work of it and now have wood shavings on the floor.

I've been trying to make sure they get some greens or veg daily. They love grass and I've been chopping up oat and wheat grass (from cat grass seeds - my kitty doesn't know she's sharing

) into small pieces for them which they gobble up. They also like leafy green lettuce. They aren't impressed by raw broccoli/cabbage etc but they like it cooked - today they've had some cooked cauliflower including the stalk and leaves. I know it's not as nutritious as raw veg, but they like it a lot more and it means none of it gets ignored and wasted!

Really I'm just wondering how much greens/veg they should be getting for a balanced diet alongside their layers pellets. I don't want to be filling them up with grass, veg etc. and having them not eat their pellets, but equally they really love their green treats and I feel like it's good for them to have some. Everything I read just says they should be given a "moderate" amount but there's no indication as to what this means.

Also, what greens/veg/fruits do your chickens like, and do any of you feed cooked veg rather than raw? I'm keen to let them have a wider variety. I'm growing a selection of weeds and grasses for them at the moment (rye grass, fat hen, chickweed, dandelions etc) but it'll be a while before those are ready to be eaten.

Thanks!

 

[yyz0yyz0]

you could add a couple of grazing frames to your run, which would help supply some live greens for them. I build mine out of 2x4s with HW cloth over the top. I throw a handful of grass seed through the HW cloth and keep them watered. As the grass grows up the chickens keep it clipped right at the HW cloth.

When the grass has gotten really dense and old, I just lift the frame and move it to a new location and start again while they tear into the remaining root zone at the previous location.