Planting crops just for chickens

[Big Chicken Little]

Hi All ..This year I want to plant some crops just for the chickens. It will be a separate planting area that I can harvest and give them fresh vegetables What has the group found to be a good vegetables to plant that I can harvest a little off at a time? I will plant in a 20X40 foot space.

 

[Hillbilly Rooster]

I would just plant something that you would like so that you can use it as well. They like lettuce, tomatoes, carrot peelings, heck I rack may rack and give the old leaves off the ground.

Then when it is time to give your garden a toss heck you can let them run in it.

Green beans and snow peas.

Now you got me hungry....lol

 

[Sparklee]

What worked great for us was Swiss Chard! The humans couldn't keep up with eating it all. I planted a seed packet of it in a 2 foot by 3 foot area (not in rows). I didn't even thin it.

Then the next year, it came up again! (It fell over on itself in the fall with the frosts and then some tree leaves sat on it over the winter.) It grew up very tall in the second spring/summer and went to seed. I just cut off off shoots of the stalks (with leaves and seeds on them) and threw them in the coop in the morning before their late afternoon free range time and they ate it up. It was simple and I spent little time on it.

I saved some Swiss Chard seeds from the plants and will plant again this year since they won't come up again.

Big squash worked well, too. Not too intensive work in the summer. I planted mine at the edge of the garden and trained the vines to run off into the grass so that they didn't take up all the room in my garden. Big hubbards seemed to work well. But I did bake mine for the chickens. So that's not exactly what you want is it. Yeah, the Swiss Chard worked the best for me last summer and the chickies loved it.

This year I hope to plant some mangel beets. I think that humans can eat the greens, but you can save the beets through the winter in a cool dark place and feed them to the chickens. I hope it works out for us this summer and winter. They are a traditional fodder ... used for cows back before people grew corn and soybeans for cows. Perfectly fine for chickens.

 

[nwgirl]

Some of what I'm growing this year for my chickens are carrots, sunflowers, micro greens, lettuce, spinach, and parsley. They like the green feathery carrot tops and sunflower heads. I would keep them away from tomato plants, although the fruit is safe. Chives and onions can be toxic.

 

[nwgirl]

Oh, I almost forgot I'm growing strawberries too. Life is good

 

[Rufflemyfeathers]

My chickens are already getting treats out of there garden..I planted them collards, green beans, cabbage,mustard greens and a variety of some other..they just go crazy when I bring them treats.. then give left overs out of the fridge too..

 

[montcapu]

i plan on having a raised garden just for my girls with all kinds of greens, not sure about anything else.

never thought about sunflowers, but I think I will add them to a spot up by my front yard, I used to love growing them as a child

I love BYC they give me so many good ideas