planning garden for the chickens

[irish44395]

Hi I am new here and haven't got my coop or chickens as of yet hope to by spring. Does any one plant veggies just for the chickens ? I am not big on planting greens because I don't eat a lot of them . So I am thinking about putting some in just for the chickens . Will it matter if they go to seed or not ? will the chickens care?
Pete

 

[kiwi-chick]

my chickens eat lots of chard (silverbeet in NZ) kale and any brassica greens they can find..... so if you have the time patience and can afford it - I would highly recommend it!

 

[Acre4Me]

No, but they get to play in the garden area in the fall, after I've gathered, and in the spring before plantings go in. They will eat many things. If you plant just for them, there are things you can thoughtfully provide. If you want to attract bugs they might eat, your choices might be certain things, but if you are trying to grow greens for them, then you would go for possibly other things. My chickens are least impressed with carrot tops, but LOVE turnip greens, strawberries (berries and leaves), cucumber sprouts, peas. All based upon what they make a bee line for if the gate is left unlatched accidentally.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Mine love swiss chard, radish tops, turnip greens, apples, watermelon, cantaloupe, cabbage, red tomatoes, ripe strawberries and of course corn on the cob.

They eat but are not nuts about cucumbers and squash.

I plant a few extra of things they love and due to limited space buy them the melons and apples.

 

[irish44395]

will they eat sweet potato leaves?

 

[CluckerFamily]

They will eat sweet potato leaves.
I plant my vegetable garden far enough away from the chickens so that everything can grow and not be eaten as sprouts. The I harvest the veggies for the chickens.
I have always wanted to learn to can vegetables but my chickens always have dibs on the veggies.

 

[The Happster]

Courgettes are pretty good.
One plant always gives you so many more than you need. They grow quickly, too. And they aren't much effort.
Lettuces, cabbages and tomatoes should work too.
Raspberry plants go nuts once they actually take off.

 

[archeryrob]

I put 2x4 wire around the garden!! Chickens will poke holes in tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and everything else. They get to free range in the afternoons when I am off work and I toss anything like rotten/old tomatoes over the fence and they eat them up.

Any trash vegetables and meat from the house goes to the chickens, except the meat the dog wants. They love cantaloupe and watermelon rinds and stuff like that. They eat all but the green rind and it dries to a skin in their runs and composts.

 

[irish44395]

I got a lot of good suggestion I not permitted to free rang or have rosters in my town and my coop has to be portable. not really plan on moving it so it will have some pretty wheels on it
Pete

 

[CluckerFamily]

In my area, if I built a permanent coop and if it would cost over $500, I would've needed a permit. I asked the Township Inspector if the $500 refers to the cost to build or what I would sell it for, he said that is up for interpretation. So I built my coop without permit and built it so that it can be moved... it isn't attached to any building... so it can be moved... with a forklift
The wheels are a great idea!