No acces to greens???

[warren86]

What's best to feed chickens that doesn't have access to greens everyday that a free range chicken would?

 

[0wen]

Do you garden? Scraps are always welcome. You can get a head of cabbage for about $.45/lb - just toss the head in the run (or hand it for entertainment)...

Some grocery stores or delis will give away their daily waste products or expiring vegetables - maybe worth checking into....

 

[warren86]

How long will the head of cabbage last before I need to replace it

 

[0wen]

My current flock of around 14 birds takes a day or two to finish one off. I don't free range, but they have an enclosed coop/run that's around 10x24. Ground is largely wood chips, but getting a large helping of dried leaves every day or two currently. I also toss in the occasional pumpkin or such - but for the most part they get chicken feed and leftovers...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I see @Owen has given you some good suggestions.

I hang cabbage, bundle of kale/greens (currently from the grocery), apple, etc. I also sometimes use a suet basket and stuff it with greens as well.

As mentioned, leaves and pine needles raked from the yard are a favorite. I rake up extra an place in large leaf bags (mostly pine needles) and store them under the porch for use in winter. On a cold dreary day, nothing beats a bag of pine needles for them to dig through.

If you have some property or a field that hasn't been treated with chemicals, you can also look for dandelion, plantain leaves, chick weed, etc., to toss in the run. There is also some winter grass in my fields, so I cut some of that with grass shears in winter/spring, but I do chop it up in small pieces. I also have bamboo that is green all winter, so I cut the tops out of some of them periodically. I hang a bundle or 2 in the run. Mine nip/eat the leaves and seem to enjoy getting underneath the bamboo branches.

 

[Percheron chick]

Place a small (60#) bale of alfalfa in the run or coop. Don't cut the strings. Just let them work on it and it will easily last a month depending upon how many are working on it.

 

[lazy gardener]

You can provide plenty of fresh greens all winter by sprouting grains. My favorites include a mix of barley, wheat, lentils, BOSS. Sometimes I sprout some millet. This year, I will have some field corn to sprout as well. You can find the "how to" by doing a google search either on this forum, or a general net search. Equipment is super basic: Mason jar and ring, water, and a bit of screening.