The Pita Pinta Asturiana

[chickengr]

They are as good and any chicken for foraging.

It is hard to keep a flock going with just foraging in a city though.

my silkies are not good at foraging while my araucanas are. I had egyptian fayoumis for a while and they kept escaping and almost lived by foraging. they preferred what they could find in a neighboring plot. unfortunately they were not safe there so I sent them to a friend's farm. as I will move to the country I plan to keep fayoumis again. I read about pita pinta chickens and they say that pita pinta prefer to forage - sounds like fayoumi. I'll have 2 acres in my new place.

 

[ronott1]

my silkies are not good at foraging while my araucanas are. I had egyptian fayoumis for a while and they kept escaping and almost lived by foraging. they preferred what they could find in a neighboring plot. unfortunately they were not safe there so I sent them to a friend's farm. as I will move to the country I plan to keep fayoumis again. I read about pita pinta chickens and they say that pita pinta prefer to forage - sounds like fayoumi. I'll have 2 acres in my new place.

Yes! All of my chickens have liked to forage so far. I do not have Silkies though.

 

[Pensmaster]

They are as good and any chicken for foraging.

It is hard to keep a flock going with just foraging in a city though.

Completely agree. It’s tough enough with acreage. Especially with the critters that like chicken. Fencing them in negates the foraging part as they soon run out of food. I’ve tried the trailers but with such uneven terrain here that didn’t work out so well.

 

[Pensmaster]

my silkies are not good at foraging while my araucanas are. I had egyptian fayoumis for a while and they kept escaping and almost lived by foraging. they preferred what they could find in a neighboring plot. unfortunately they were not safe there so I sent them to a friend's farm. as I will move to the country I plan to keep fayoumis again. I read about pita pinta chickens and they say that pita pinta prefer to forage - sounds like fayoumi. I'll have 2 acres in my new place.

It will also depend on how many chickens you have.

I hear you on the feed part. It’s a little concerning especially when a couple years ago when this started the feed store I was getting feed at was rationing the amount of bags. That quickly stopped though.

 

[chickengr]

It will also depend on how many chickens you have.

I hear you on the feed part. It’s a little concerning especially when a couple years ago when this started the feed store I was getting feed at was rationing the amount of bags. That quickly stopped though.

we import wheat and corn. feed prices go up every week. I plan to plant fast growing plants for my chickens like millet. I might be able to plant it 3 x a year. I also have seeds of oaxaca green corn that can be planted 2 x a year. lentils as well and of coarse alfa alfa. I need to search more. growing season here is 8-10 months long.

 

[Pensmaster]

we import wheat and corn. feed prices go up every week. I plan to plant fast growing plants for my chickens like millet. I might be able to plant it 3 x a year. I also have seeds of oaxaca green corn that can be planted 2 x a year. lentils as well and of coarse alfa alfa. I need to search more. growing season here is 8-10 months long.

Something else to plant. A good long lasting winter squash. With your growing season it may not be a concern. Here the squash last well into winter, properly stored, and chickens love them. I still have some that will be fed.
Aphids and mold can be a problem. Be sure to get a variety that’s resistant to these. I’ve found Zucchino Rampicante squash, which is also a great summer green squash for stir fries, to be aphid and mold resistant. To the point that while other squash plants died from molds and aphids, this squash overtook the dying plant and had no repercussions from contact. It does live up to its name rampicante as it needs trellising or it will overtake your garden. There will be plenty squash for your winter eating and chickens as well.
Another winter squash that keeps well and is resistant is Tahitian Melon Squash. It’s a sweeter winter squash, quite like butternut but bigger, I’ve not tried it for summer eating as I have the rampicante.
I’ve found both these seeds at rareseeds .com sometimes they are out of stock. Just click on notify me when available.

 

[chickengr]

Something else to plant. A good long lasting winter squash. With your growing season it may not be a concern. Here the squash last well into winter, properly stored, and chickens love them. I still have some that will be fed.
Aphids and mold can be a problem. Be sure to get a variety that’s resistant to these. I’ve found Zucchino Rampicante squash, which is also a great summer green squash for stir fries, to be aphid and mold resistant. To the point that while other squash plants died from molds and aphids, this squash overtook the dying plant and had no repercussions from contact. It does live up to its name rampicante as it needs trellising or it will overtake your garden. There will be plenty squash for your winter eating and chickens as well.
Another winter squash that keeps well and is resistant is Tahitian Melon Squash. It’s a sweeter winter squash, quite like butternut but bigger, I’ve not tried it for summer eating as I have the rampicante.
I’ve found both these seeds at rareseeds .com sometimes they are out of stock. Just click on notify me when available.

pumpkin and squash are on my list. collard green trees as well. I can grow them in winter here.

we don't have the same varieties of squash here but I will get what I can find. do you have any other suggestion what to grow for chickens? we have hot summers and almost everything is dead by the end of august. I need something that is heat and drought resistant.

 

[Pensmaster]

The heat here is bad as well. I’m thinking sunshade material on the more sensitive varieties. Some things like berries get burned before getting ripe. Also going to try and get plants planted earlier this year. That gets tricky with the late freeze.
I don’t know about heat tolerant plants. I do have a garden space that gets good morning sun with little to no afternoon sun. Going to take advantage of that more this year.

 

[chickengr]

The heat here is bad as well. I’m thinking sunshade material on the more sensitive varieties. Some things like berries get burned before getting ripe. Also going to try and get plants planted earlier this year. That gets tricky with the late freeze.
I don’t know about heat tolerant plants. I do have a garden space that gets good morning sun with little to no afternoon sun. Going to take advantage of that more this year.

I will use sunshade but on a small part of the garden only. I tried to plant earlier and lost almost all tomato seedlings with cold weather. potaoes planted in january got burnt from frost last week - unbelievable. this year is bad for many things.

 

[Pensmaster]

I will use sunshade but on a small part of the garden only. I tried to plant earlier and lost almost all tomato seedlings with cold weather. potaoes planted in january got burnt from frost last week - unbelievable. this year is bad for many things.

And when you get everything figured out, the deer and squirrels and raccoons come in for the feast. Fencing is a must both for both chickens and gardens.
I just started seeds yesterday. Heat mats and lights. We can have a freeze in April.