What do you grow to feed the chickens??

[chickadoodles]

Hello and Welcome thecatbus and the Herbgirl to the thread

 

[Arielle]

http://www.starkbros.com/products/berry-plants/honeyberry-plants

Chickadoodles-- here are several varieties of honeyberries to compare to. While I have honeyberry plants, they are babies, and no fruit to compare. sorry. I'm hoping these photos will help.

 

[Arielle]

I grow dill, tomatoes, parsley, green beans and rosemary and my chickens don't bother with any of it. They prefer the weeds in my lawn!

Quote: I just started tossing some chickweed-- great stuff, it grow so very fast.

Naughty REdHawk-- ruins all those tomatos just so his friends can have a taste.

 

[LindaB220]

Can anyone tell me what kind of fruit tree this is? My daughters SIL needs to know before her children eat it. Thanks

Would it be a honeyberry?

http://www.honeyberryusa.com/about-honeyberry.html

Edited: Oh, I see y'all already found it. I know nothing about them. They don't grow in zone 8

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: Thank you Linda, They are growing in Florida to bad they won't grow here they sound delicious.

 

[chickadoodles]

http://www.starkbros.com/products/berry-plants/honeyberry-plants

Chickadoodles-- here are several varieties of honeyberries to compare to. While I have honeyberry plants, they are babies, and no fruit to compare. sorry. I'm hoping these photos will help.

Thanks for the link Arielle, it shows that I can grow some of the varieties of honeyberries. I think I will get some this fall.

 

[lazy gardener]

Chickadoodles, just to be sure, you might want to take a sample to, or send your photo to your county agricultural extension agent. Hope it's an edible that volunteered for you!

 

[LindaB220]

Thanks for the link Arielle, it shows that I can grow some of the varieties of honeyberries. I think I will get some this fall.

x2 Arielle, I checked and 3 of them will grow in 8a. Yea

 

[gjensen]

I plan to plant some Kale and a mixture of crimson clover and rye, the grain. Those make good greens for them. I don't know about your climate but down here those thinhs grow best through the fall and winter.

Have you tried Rape? It has become my favorite fall/winter greens for the birds. Their favorite to.

 

[gjensen]

During the spring, summer, and early fall - I do not worry about extra feed for the birds. I do like to till strips in the sod, lime it, and water it. The weeds take it over quickly. Mostly, these are natives. If I keep the birds off it, until it established their is a wider variety of green feed. There is also more insects. They prefer foraging these strips over the grass, which fills back in underneath in the mean time. I like to take advantage of what is here. I am wary about spending as much or more on the extra feed than the feed itself.

The birds do get kitchen and garden extras, and I like to throw them some whole grain which is as much a training tool as anything. I am fortunate to be able to let them range, but I do have to do it in a controlled fashion.

I do grow them green feed for the winter. Rape has become my favorite, but I do like to over seed with rye and clover. I get more from the clover late inter and early spring. I like the speed of Rye. I grow the rape in the garden. Rape may be better suited for the south. It's habits and requirements is much like Collards.

I want to grow them some mangel beets this fall. Something to nail to house walls, and give them something to peck at on the coldest days. There is something to be said for food that is a live. I would not have to store them, but pull them and place them.

I have toyed with planting them winter squash, but have preferred pumpkins. The catch is that you can almost get pumpkins for free after the Halloween sale. We are mild enough to store them on pallets in a shed or barn for a reasonable amount of time.

I am always looking for more ideas. Especially for the coldest part of winter, even that would not be considered much of a winter for some of you.

I try to be careful about letting the birds get too much rye. It does impart an off flavor to the eggs, and discolors the yolk, if they get too much rye. I love Abruzzi (sp?), but the Coastal variety seams to persist longer into the heat than the others.

I grow my cockerels out in a house/run with a yard. I plant this with rye for them to graze early in the spring. The yard is partially shaded by the time the heat sets in, so it lasts a little longer. They do eventually strip it clean, but that is about processing time. Soon after, I am rounding them up and penning them up individually.

I am toying with the idea of planting chicory. prefer perennials or annuals that re seed themselves over annuals alone.

I think it is important to compare the investment to the return.