What do you grow to feed the chickens??

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Chickadoodles---thanks for the welcome! This is a very cool thread, and I'm glad to have found it.

 

[Arielle]

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.

I love how you think George!!!

 

[Arielle]

While DH was cuting stakes for the tomatos, he discovered the same patch of berries I was picking yesterday. He said they were huckleberries. THey look like blueberries , sort of, HE said to look at the flower end, a cross is a blueberry, the huckelberris is different. I actually liked the taste of the huckleberry a bit better than the blue berry.

I'm surprized the speckled sussex have not found the berreis!!

 

[Arielle]

I have miniature strawberry plants
The chickens love finding the tiny fruits

I'm envious that yours fruits; we have a vining wild tpe but never see berries which is odd as the ones in Maine were the best ever.

I am growing tomato and a few lettuce varieties just for the chickens. The chickens pay me back with poop.

What? No Eggs???

 

[chickadoodles]

I have miniature strawberry plants
The chickens love finding the tiny fruits

Welcome to the thread Pinkaboo! So nice of you to share the berries with your chickens.

My strawberry plants have just started to come back from last year's drought.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ok, I'm cross-eyed now, I've read up through page 13, need to start again on page 14 but right now it is after 1:am and I need to go to bed. I have no idea whether this thread is still active or not, guess I'll find out in a second, but I hope it is as it is a subject near and dear to my heart.

 

[chickadoodles]

Ok, I'm cross-eyed now, I've read up through page 13, need to start again on page 14 but right now it is after 1:am and I need to go to bed. I have no idea whether this thread is still active or not, guess I'll find out in a second, but I hope it is as it is a subject near and dear to my heart.

Yes Lacy we try to keep it going. lol We also talk about anything that comes up. lol

 

[chickadoodles]

While DH was cuting stakes for the tomatos, he discovered the same patch of berries I was picking yesterday. He said they were huckleberries. THey look like blueberries , sort of, HE said to look at the flower end, a cross is a blueberry, the huckelberris is different. I actually liked the taste of the huckleberry a bit better than the blue berry.

I'm surprized the speckled sussex have not found the berreis!!

I thought they only lasted one season. How nice. Good thing the SS have not found it.

 

[Arielle]

Ok, I'm cross-eyed now, I've read up through page 13, need to start again on page 14 but right now it is after 1:am and I need to go to bed. I have no idea whether this thread is still active or not, guess I'll find out in a second, but I hope it is as it is a subject near and dear to my heart.

LB-- WHat do you grow to feed your chickens??

 

[Arielle]

Quote: While I was picking the other day, I was a bit confused by the berries. THe plant was clearly a blue berry. NO question about that. BUt the berry was a dark black cherry color, ANd when I say dark, I do mean almost black. BUt no bloom, and not blue. THe stems seems a bit different too. Clumps were more like a cherry but still somewhat blueberryish.

THe bushes were low bush types, about 2 feet high, and lots of woody older stems at the base.

DH has been know to be wrong on occassin but not about plants and trees.