My Chickens LOVE Chicken Salad!!!

[Red Barn Farms]

No, it's not what you think!!

This is what I'm referring too. I hand feed it and they LOVE it! I hold each leaf between my fingers tightly and they pick at it. It's the first thing they go to when free ranging too. Anyone know what weed this is? I've tried looking it up under common weeds but no luck so far.



Closer view for inspection.

 

[egggarden]

The weed in the photo is plantain - according to Mother Earth News, humans can eat it too!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Interesting, I have something similar to that, how can I know for sure from m earth news? The chickens do eat it, but not enough to make a dent yet.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

Thanks for the info egggarden! I found it now.

They almost fight one another to get to this stuff!

common plantain (Plantago major)

Various domestic fowels like chicken and geese along with a variety of other birds eat this weed. Other animals include rabbit and deer. Used in salads or as greens, and their seeds are eaten by birds. Hungry goslings gorge themselves on leaves of the plantain.

Broadleaf plants, in general, are preferred by chickens over grasses. No wonder --- chickens aren't ruminants and they aren't able to digest grass any more than you can. I wonder if there are weeds like dock, plantain, or others that stand up well to heavy chicken scratching and browsing and are still tasty for our chickens?

 

[Red Barn Farms]

I forgot to add this weed grows all around the house. I always cut it down when mowing the lawn. I'll start letting in grow in one area for them. I read it can get pretty tall. More than a foot or so then seeds out and they are suppose to love the seeds as well.