what crops to grow for most nutrition for chickens

[annabelle08]

what plants can I grow as fodder for my chickens that would be the most nutritious?

 

[SueT]

I wondered the same thing, I was giving them kale until it died off for the winter. Now I find there are weeds growing in profusion that are very nutritious....do you have henbit? (named because chickens like it.)photo 1)...or purple dead-nettle? (named because it's a nettle but doesn't sting photo 2. ) These are easy to pull up by the handful. Here I was weeding my garden detesting these plants, and decided to google them, and discovered I had a wealth of free chicken fodder.... Their egg yolks are bright orange, and these are the only greens they are eating right now.




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[lazy gardener]

White or red clover, wheat, barley, any of the brassica or cole plants, lettuce, spinnach, grass,

 

[annabelle08]

Thank you Sue T, I do have the dead-nettles, but wasn't sure they were good for them. I'll be picking those now. I did pull up some chickweed, but they weren't really crazy for them.

Thank you Lazy Gardener, I have been growing wheat grass which they eat, but not enthusiastically. I wanted to know so I could buy seed in bulk instead of paying 3-4$ for a little package.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thank you Sue T, I do have the dead-nettles, but wasn't sure they were good for them. I'll be picking those now. I did pull up some chickweed, but they weren't really crazy for them.

Thank you Lazy Gardener, I have been growing wheat grass which they eat, but not enthusiastically. I wanted to know so I could buy seed in bulk instead of paying 3-4$ for a little package.

I bought a 50# bag of feed wheat this fall for $12.50, and have been using that. It will easily last me all year, and should still be viable for next year's sprouting also, if I store it well.