Planting a garden for my chickens

[CluckerFamily]

I have a covered run so I grow plants in pots and rotate them into the run or in an area they can reach.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I'm planning to grow comfrey this year along the edge of my run (outside the fence). I figure anything that grows close enough to the run they can pick at through the fence. The rest I can harvest and toss over to them.

In theory, comfrey will allow for several "harvests" in a year and grow back...which sounds about perfect for a "chicken garden".

 

[wf1992]

So are chickens smart enough to stand and graze on hardware cloth without scratching, and ripping out toenails?

 

[Aunt Angus]

So are chickens smart enough to stand and graze on hardware cloth without scratching, and ripping out toenails?

Mine are.

These are all such great ideas!

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

looks like alot of work .. theyed get more if you just grew several leafy greens that are hardy, thats what im fixin to do, nows the time to start them here .. several collard mustard and kale bushes spaced well apart so they can be cared for well will produce large leaves you can just snap off and toss to them for a couple of months at least .. 6 or so plants will probably feed you AND the chickens well if fertilized and kept up ...

You must be talking about growing these outside of the area the chickens have access to?

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

I have things in pots and rotate them out.

What size pots do you use? Various sizes depending on what you happen to have available, or?

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

I have a covered run so I grow plants in pots and rotate them into the run or in an area they can reach.

What size pots do you use? Just anything small enough to move around easily or?

 

[Aunt Angus]

What size pots do you use? Various sizes depending on what you happen to have available, or?

Whatever I have on hand. Some are still in what they came in when i bought them. Some I have are on wheels. Most are just sm as ll ones I can lift. I put them in a wagon and move them when I need to/remember to.

 

[CluckerFamily]

What size pots do you use? Just anything small enough to move around easily or?

What ever I have on hand. I save all my pots, tree & scrub pots work great and are always the ones I plant and fill first.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I also knew a lady that planted stuff on the outside of the chicken fence. So, the edible plant was safe from destruction, but any leaves that grew up against or through the fence were eaten.

I do a little of that. I trellis peas each spring up the back of my run, and the chickens are welcome to eat what they can reach. I also shell overly matured peas from those plants and chuck them through the run fence.