Thinking of growing some greens this spring--what are good choices?

[RedheadErin]

I am breaking sod for 2 new garden squares this spring. I am thinking of putting timothy for the guinea pigs in one plot and something green and fun for the chickens in the other. What is a simple and easy crop I can grow?

My goals for this plot are

1. put something in there that will grow easily and control weeds
2. grow something that will leave its roots in the soil after harvest and and improve the soil for next year
3. Grow something that I can keep cutting leaves from, that will continue to grow back, hopefully all season long

 

[NanaLantana]

Howdy - I think it depends on where you live as what you can grow best year round. Here in Florida we can grow collards year round - in fact, you can keep a collards 'tree' and pick the leaves when you need some. Spinach is a good choice, and any of the lettuces, you can keep picking leaves off them, too. If you're making a bed for the chickens, and it's within reach, they'll dig the whole thing up and eat even the roots! I built a 'salad bar' inside the run, and am planting it with the weeds they like the most. It is covered with wire, so they can't scratch the dickens out of it, just eat what comes up thru the wire.

I hope any of this helps - -

 

[emrys]

Mine love cabbage leaves. I break off a couple of the big leaves every few day before and after harvesting the head. Lettuce! I HAD lettuce growing in pots. Let the chickens out but forgot to pick up the pots. The lettuce was destroyed in a matter of minutes. Ditto spinach. They did a number on the brocolli leaves as well but I had already cut the flower head out. Mustard and turnip greens. Garlic chives, oregano, basil, just about anything you would grow for yourself they will eat. The only thing that is safe is the mint. My girls don't like mint.

 

[1muttsfan]

Sand Hill Preservation has a seed mix called Brooder Greens, mixed edible greens that my chicks ate up when moved out to the small coop.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

All of the above, plus chard. Chard will take cool weather and frosts, plus endures hot summers much better than spinach and lettuce. I harvest only the outside leaves and let the main plant continue to grow.

I forgot, parsley is good, too.

 

[Decoyman]

The tops of Daikon radish are a wonderful supplement. The chickens love it.

I got the idea from some Longtail chicken enthusiasts - seems like the Onagadori folks find it of such great benefit that some will freeze batches of it so it can be thawed and fed throughout the year.

Daikon is very easy to raise - not likely too easy to find from your local seed sources, but easy to buy the seeds online.

 

[kcwazzu]

Zucchini. Super easy to grow and my chickens love the overgrown ones.