I am starting a chicken garden!! What goes in it?

[gjpaddles]

I grow Wheatgrass for my chickens. But I grow it in a tray and trim it for them so that they wont yank it out from the roots. It will keep growing and you can just trim some for them. I water their wheatgrass tray everyday and it grows about 1-2 inches a day. Other that we feed almost any scraps or fruit or veggie we have.

 

[bigdaddyabc]

My chickens are thrilled when i simply pull the weeds and grass out of my garden for them. They wait at the fence of the run and watch me and cluck. This way my family gets the first pick of fruits and veggies, the chickens get the weeds and the produce the bugs get to. It works great for everyone. I have patches where I threw out wild bird food that has sprouted and is growing and the chickens are eyeing it with much anticipation too! It will have millet, sunflowers, a little corn, you know, the standard wild food mix.......

 

[SilkieTime]

Far be it for me to tell you. I don't know squat. What I do know when the blackberries are ripe, you can go about and find them free. Mine go Nuts Oh over them. Know anyone with some, what I call new woods or on the edge of the woods. Lots of people with 10 or more woods would let you pick them if you ask.

 

[peachlover]

I am going to start with: do not plant broccoli and expect them to like it. I learned that one the hard way. Everyone has mentioned great things so far. I am going to add cucumbers, watermelon, cantelope, peas. I let my cucumbers grow oversize, slice them in half (like a banana split) and they love them. They also love grapes and blackoil sunflower seeds. Have fun.

 

[DianeB]

Peachlover, my chickens must be gluttons. They love broccoli and pretty much everything else in my garden.

 

[canada-goose]

Kale. My chickens love it!

 

[Ibicella]

Marigolds will add a nice color to the yolks of their eggs and are pretty too!

 

[michickenwrangler]

Lettuce. Also toss them rinds from cantelope and watermelon ... they LOVE it. Also old corn cobs from sweet corn. Trust me, they'll find plenty to pick.

Mine also like squash and apples.

I also hand till my garden with a shovel rather than a roto-tiller. We find all kinds of grubs and meal worms to toss to them.

 

[peachlover]

Quote:
It must be your sweet gardening skills, what's the secret?

 

[jujubean99]

I forgot to add, stawberries! My chickens will go to great lenghts to get into my fenced off strawberry patch and devour everything in sight before I can stop them, they are lucky they're so darn cute!
BTW, this chicken garden is a fantastic idea! If I had the space I would steal your idea! be sure to post pictures when its finished and let us know how it goes! Good luck!