planting a green food plot

[opihiman911]

Does anyone out there plant feed plots for their chickens?
I have seen a lady who has a raised screened box area that she grows grass for her rabbits. She will till an little area and plant grass seed and put the screened box over it. In a month or so the grass will be six inches tall and she will move the box to a new area and let the rabbits eat the fresh grass while the new area grows.
I would like to do this for my chickens, but I don't know what kind of seed to buy. Would a deer/turkey plot seed be a good choice? I see all kinds of seed mixture with alfalfa, clover, rye, rape, chickory, sorguhm, turnip and soy seeds. Will a mix like this work?
Anyone else out ther use these plot mixes? Any preferences? Easy Plot, Imperial Whitetail, Shot Plot, No Plow, Prograze, Rackmaster? Anything in these mixes that might not be good for my chickens? I also notice a spring and fall seed mix. I live in a constant warm dry area so I assume a spring mix would be best.
Thanks for your help.

Cory

 

[eggchel]

Here is what is offered in Sandhill Preservation's catalog:

Tasty Chicken Treats

Brooder Yard Greens - Spring Pack: A mixture of Essex Rape, Millet, and Mustard. 8 oz. $4.000 (postpaid); 1 lb. $7.50 (postpaid); 3 lbs. $18.00 (postpaid)

Instructions: Sow in brooder runs when you get chicks, 4-6 weeks later the young birds have a forest of greens to pick. I till up the soil and then broadcast the seed, rake in lightly, water and wait.

Brooder Yard Greens - Fall Pack A mixture of Essex Rape, Millet, Mustard, Turnips, and Winter Radishes. 8 oz. $4.50 (postpaid); 1 lb. $8.00 (postpaid); 3 lbs. $20.00 (postpaid)

Plant this in the poultry yards about late July or early August. Turn the birds in 6 weeks later.

http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/catalog/specialty.html

Someday Im hoping to get a yard fenced into two sections so that I can always have something growing for them. My geese have their own lawn that we put in for them. We have to fence them out of it for half the week to keep them from overgrazing it. I guess we need to expand it.


Chel​

 

[AussieSharon]

I ordered from Sandhill Preservation and got both the Spring and Fall mix. I'm planning to plant it in containers which I can put in the run.

 

[cknmom]

When we build the new coop/run I want to do that very thing. Right now though I planted grass seed in a tray for them.

Monica

 

[chickenannie]

There was just a huge discussion of this very same topic.
Search for "growing chickenfeed" on BYC or click here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=36092

 

[Meesh]

You can sprout oats in a bucket. They sprout fast.

http://www.sproutpeople.com/seed/oats.html

Cheers,
Michelle

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I read through that "growing chicken feed" thread & it's talking mostly about growing/harvesting grains. The topic here seems to be about growing greenstuff for the chickens' benefit.

I made long planter boxes out of old fence boards to go along the front of the chicken runs. In them I plant things like spinach, collard greens, parsley & marigolds. Then I lean pieces of old wire shelving over them, about 6-8 inches or so above, so the chickens can't reach the dirt & roots of the plants. But they can reach the leaves that grow up & through the wire and grab themselves bites of the nutritious green leaves.

I've also grown grass in trays of all sorts, plastic nursery trays (the kind plants are delivered to stores in), big plastic plant saucers, even cardboard boxes like the ones soda cans are delivered in. I grow them away from the birds until they're ready to eat, then either place the whole tray in the pen or trim them a salad from it. I've used rye grass seed, also sprouted the birdseed I use in the wild bird feeders, just because it's cheap & available. But those specialty seed mixes sound great, even good enough for me to eat!

 

[1shelby1]

I buy an 'omega feed' for chicken at peacefulvalley(groworganic.com)
It has flax seed(not to be used near horses)clover,buckwheat,cowpeas,alfalfaand birdsfoot broadleaf trefoil.
there is supposed to be 6x the omega -3 in eggs grazed on this.

 

[SebashtionH]

Old thread but.... i just planted a 1,000sq ft chicken food plot for my chickens... it is just coming up so far...
this is from hancock seed here in florida it is their happy hen food plot mix...
has all the protien and carbs they need it says.. I also grow wheat fooder/sprouts for them which they love!!!!!
I am slowly going to get them off store bought feed....
the only think i should have to buy besides seed is the oyster shell...