Growing oats and other seeds in my chicken run.

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

On April 22nd, I decided I was going to give my hens a little more to do in their run, since they could no longer free range. So I made a mixture of whole oats, black oil sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds, to start a sort of wild forage area in their run. I sectioned off maybe 1/4 of their run using portable fencing and put fresh dirt made from our compost. This is how it looked after I planted and watered the seeds for the first time...

After weeks and weeks of watering and watching the wild birds and ants eat my seeds, they finally sprouted and grew into a green, lush, forage area for my hens. I could let it grow even taller and denser, but I got impatient and let my hens in today.

I could not recommend doing something like this enough! The seeds were super easy to grow... all I did was water them a couple times a week! The hens have LOVED eating and scratching around in it, not only eating the leaves and greens, but also eating all the bugs and worms that it attracted. I will definitely be replanting this when the chickens destroy it!

And after they were done foraging (and my Brahma was done playing with the phone screen), the whole flock took an afternoon nap

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That grew really well. Looks simple to do as well.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Very nice!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Aww! Looks like they loved the stuff you planted for them. Chickens love a good surprise.

 

[ChaosMom]

On April 22nd, I decided I was going to give my hens a little more to do in their run, since they could no longer free range. So I made a mixture of whole oats, black oil sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds, to start a sort of wild forage area in their run. I sectioned off maybe 1/4 of their run using portable fencing and put fresh dirt made from our compost. This is how it looked after I planted and watered the seeds for the first time...
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After weeks and weeks of watering and watching the wild birds and ants eat my seeds, they finally sprouted and grew into a green, lush, forage area for my hens. I could let it grow even taller and denser, but I got impatient and let my hens in today.
View attachment 4126732
I could not recommend doing something like this enough! The seeds were super easy to grow... all I did was water them a couple times a week! The hens have LOVED eating and scratching around in it, not only eating the leaves and greens, but also eating all the bugs and worms that it attracted. I will definitely be replanting this when the chickens destroy it!
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And after they were done foraging (and my Brahma was done playing with the phone screen), the whole flock took an afternoon nap
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Very nice! They are happy campers, for sure.

If you have room in your run, or if it can be expanded, consider doing a backyard version of rotational grazing!

IF (only if) you have enough protected run space to devote a good chunk of it to growing forage while the rest is just hangout space, divide the forage space into 4, 5, or even 6 equal plots, and plant each one every two weeks or so. When the first one hits four weeks, turn the hens in and let them destroy it to the ground. One-two weeks later, do the same with the next plot, and then keep rolling this onward, letting each newly-eaten plot lie fallow for a week or two before replanting.

The greens feed the chickens.
The chickens poop on the soil.
The chickens scratch the soil, working in the poop.
The chickens move on to the next plot, leaving bare but ready soil behind.
The poop rots in the resting (fallow) soil, making it ready for the next planting.
Plant new seeds and allow to grow while the chickens work their ways through each succeeding section, mowing down mature plants, and leaving tilled and fertilized soil behind.

Rinse, wash, repeat.

This is definitely an over-simplification, but this is how regenerative farmers, whom I consider the heroes of modern agriculture, approach farming. Maybe it will spark some ideas for you!

If you have the space, and you want to enlist your chickens as assistant gardeners, here you go.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

Very nice! They are happy campers, for sure.

If you have room in your run, or if it can be expanded, consider doing a backyard version of rotational grazing!

IF (only if) you have enough protected run space to devote a good chunk of it to growing forage while the rest is just hangout space, divide the forage space into 4, 5, or even 6 equal plots, and plant each one every two weeks or so. When the first one hits four weeks, turn the hens in and let them destroy it to the ground. One-two weeks later, do the same with the next plot, and then keep rolling this onward, letting each newly-eaten plot lie fallow for a week or two before replanting.

The greens feed the chickens.
The chickens poop on the soil.
The chickens scratch the soil, working in the poop.
The chickens move on to the next plot, leaving bare but ready soil behind.
The poop rots in the resting (fallow) soil, making it ready for the next planting.
Plant new seeds and allow to grow while the chickens work their ways through each succeeding section, mowing down mature plants, and leaving tilled and fertilized soil behind.

Rinse, wash, repeat.

This is definitely an over-simplification, but this is how regenerative farmers, whom I consider the heroes of modern agriculture, approach farming. Maybe it will spark some ideas for you!

If you have the space, and you want to enlist your chickens as assistant gardeners, here you go.

That's a great idea! I don't have enough room to do something quite like that, but I do have another section of the run that has grass growing, so I might cut them off from that section to allow the grass to grow while they have this area to dig around and graze in.
Thanks for the idea!

 

[Penpal]

Chaos Mom is recommending "rotational grazing". This is what I have used for my sheep. But you are right, you could rotational graze two areas. The change I would make would be to plant the sunflowers in a garden location. That way, you can have lovely sunflowers, then when the seedbeds dry out you have your own homegrown sunflower seeds for the chickens in the winter.

You just want to presoak the seeds for 12 hours before giving them to the chickens.