Home-Grown Chicken Feed Supplements

[Sally PB]

I have alpine strawberries as ground cover so we don't eat them

I could never have that much restraint... LOOOOOOVE strawberries!

 

[Coop deGrace]

Nope, never occurred to me to cook for the chickens I do know that turnips are considered good forage for animals, so was hoping the chickens would at least eat mature greens, but they really don't like them much. And I don't end up with too many baby greens since that's the part that I want to eat.

Hubby and I have literally eaten weeks of turnip side dishes, that's how much I end up with each season.



Gotcha. I'd still try to aim for a few things that you would eat (i.e. if you like tomatoes, all the imperfect ones can go to the chickens) but as far as things grown specifically for chickens, well... strawberries would fit the bill for me. I have alpine strawberries as ground cover so we don't eat them, but the chickens love them.

Yes, the chickens do definitely get some tomatoes in the summer.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I could never have that much restraint... LOOOOOOVE strawberries!

I have heirloom garden strawberries that I grow for us (and by us I mean me, hubby wants the big boring ones from the grocery store) but the alpines are almost like weeds here. More productive too, they fruit from early summer through to frost. My dogs also eat them.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

My birds happily consumed watermelon (long before it was big enough for me to eat), zucchini, and summer squash - all vines, all easy to grow, and all things I was using for erosion control - so I don't mind so much that they got all the veggies, not me.

Oh, and winter peas. I'm trying some rape this year (its a mustard/green, and very popular as cover with the cotton farmers near me) as well as some driller daikon and an heirloom radish for winter treats.

 

[Coop deGrace]

My birds happily consumed watermelon (long before it was big enough for me to eat), zucchini, and summer squash - all vines, all easy to grow, and all things I was using for erosion control - so I don't mind so much that they got all the veggies, not me.

Oh, and winter peas. I'm trying some rape this year (its a mustard/green, and very popular as cover with the cotton farmers near me) as well as some driller daikon and an heirloom radish for winter treats.

Oh peas, yes. Thanks for reminding me. I definitely need to add those to my list.

 

[EveLa]

I'm growing for both of my families: Hubby and chickens. I don't care for beets, but the chickens seem to like them. We all love butternut squash, so that's for all of us. I might grow a watermelon vine again, that was a huge favorite with the birds. They love some of the weeds that grow abundantly, so they help with that. I make them share the lamb's quarter with me.



Just a thought... did you try cooking them? My chickens didn't care for the mangels (beets) raw, but they gobbled them up when I cooked them.

Great idea, I know mine like cooked sweet potatoes, so does my pig LOL

 

[steve232]

Not sure what area you live in but I grow a fig tree. The chickens will actually jump for the figs that are low to the ground and its also fun to see them jump. Also blueberries are another fruit the chickens will jump for. A couple years ago I also set out a mulberry tree. They produce alot of fruit that drops to the ground and they chickens loves those as well.

 

[Riro37]

I recommend trying the "Azola". It grows within days and it proliferates more and more and it contains high amounts of protein