Planting field to feed chickens?

[savilcr]

Well our garden is slowly dying down, I was thinking about planting a food plot for the deer but then was thinking maybe there was something I could plant that my hens could eat each day, I have about .25 of an acre that has good soil in it from our garden, any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[LarryPQ]

I am going to do this too...I was thinking of getting the winter cover crop from TSC, but ended up buying a bag of wild bird seed to test it out first. I think the chickens would be happy with plain grass, but I can't seem to keep it alive....

 

[savilcr]

I was thinking something along the lines of wheat, or sorghum, something that would drop seeds on the ground for them to eat

 

[monkeemakr]

I tried the bird seed because it sprouts like crazy under the feeders, but I couldn't get anything to come up where I was going to plant it!!! My luck. I have heard (would have to be in the spring) brown or white millet. I may try that. Anyone know what the best pasture grass/hay for chickens is? I was wondering if a clover mix might be good?

 

[kelidei]

great idea!!! ... I buy bulk organic grain for grinding into flour or flaking for cereal... but I could throw a few handfuls into the gardens... thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Savilcr

I am in Georgia too and have a "year round" food plot plant for the deer (right outside the coops). It is a mix of clover (arrowleaf or white as it will come back each year), wheat or rye (not rye grass) and chickory (it too comes back each year from seed)

thru the summer it gets some weeds and grasses in it, but the chickens feed in it daily

If you are using your "annual garden spot" you may not want something that comes back. In that case I would plant just small grains....wheat, rye, oats. If you have a GOOD feed/seed store close by ask them about using FEED wheat and FEED oats (we use it in our plots at the hunting club every year). It cant really be sold for "seed" as germination is usually a bit less BUT it is much less expensive. For 1/4 acre you wont need much!

Good luck

 

[kelidei]

Quote:
clover is also a good green manure for improving the soil... Don't know where you are but certain types are good for fall planting up north.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
clover is also a good green manure for improving the soil... Don't know where you are but certain types are good for fall planting up north.

Susan

You are absolutely correct! Clover and most any other plant in the legume family (alfalfa, winter peas, vetch, etc) helps to fix (or add) nitrogen BACK into the soil

Whatever you plant just needs to be able to tolerate the temps in your area and GROW thru the winter or your birds and the wildlife will just eat it to the ground

 

[ll]

Maybe:

http://www.groworganic.com/omega-3-chicken-forage-blend-irrigated.html
or
http://www.treatsforchickens.com/products/Chicken-Salad-Seed-Mix.html

good luck!

 

[Fldeb]

I got my "chicken grass" from GrowOrganic.com. It is a forage mix that is to increase omega 3 in your eggs. I grow it in containers to put in their run. They LOVE it!! I let them out to free range and they didn't eat the regular grass until they had eaten everything out of the containers I had outside their run letting the grass regrow. Deb