Picky chickens need greens!

[veetown707]

I've got a flock of 10. 9 of them came with me when I moved to city limits from an apple farm. On the farm they free ranged most days and grazed on grass all day long. Now that they are a backyard flock, grazing is very limited. I'm trying to get more greens into their diet but they're so picky! They hardly get excited about lettuce or spinach and I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

 

[llombardo]

Kale, spring mix, peas. You can also bag your grass when you cut it and put it in a pile in the run and they will spread it for you. They will dig through it and eat some too.

 

[paneubert]

I soak alfalfa cubes with some of their feed. They see it as a treat, but it gets them some greens while also getting them some quality protein (both from the feed and from the alfalfa).

 

[Peppercorngal]

Maybe the fact that the grass is not "alive" and standing for them to "pick" is what is throwing them off? I am planning on getting two of those big aluminum pans they use at banquets from the dollar store, putting soil in them and growing lawn seed. When it gets tall I'll put it in their free range area and let them peck it away. I'll take it out after the grass is gone and replant it for them. I have noticed that my flock prefer greens that are "growing" or for me to hold one end so they can rip off pieces. Just a thought.