What garden plants/veggies can I feed my chickens, and at what age?

[blackwpk]

We have a pretty good sized garden and we will be getting our RIR girls in a couple weeks. They will be 4wks old by that time. What can I feed them from our garden and at what age? We have beets, marigolds, LARGE sunflowers, tomatoes, bell peppers and rhubarb. We have already harvested pea pods and cauliflower. We are very new at this so what to do the very best for our girls!

 

[ChickenLover172]

Chickens absolutely love tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, corn, watermelon, cantaloupe and marigolds! I started feeding my chickens veggies and fruits when they were about 2 1/2 months old. They have to be big enough to swallow seeds because they can easily choke when they are little.

 

[MsPoultry]

Soon as my chicks can run about the coop without supervision(about 2 months)i start feeding scraps and veggies/fruit which they soon love.

 

[blackwpk]

Thank you so much to ChickenLover172 and MsPoultry for your information! I so appreciate everyone who have all been so helpful to me!

 

[ChickenLover172]

Your welcome, glad I could help

 

[MsPoultry]

your very welcome

 

[Garden Peas]

We have a pretty good sized garden and we will be getting our RIR girls in a couple weeks. They will be 4wks old by that time. What can I feed them from our garden and at what age? We have beets, marigolds, LARGE sunflowers, tomatoes, bell peppers and rhubarb. We have already harvested pea pods and cauliflower. We are very new at this so what to do the very best for our girls!

Hmmm, tomatoes good, tomato vegetation not so great... The Solonacea family (nightshades) can have toxic leaves -- that family includes the tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and bell peppers. My Peas nibble at the tomato leaves growing on the side of their pen, but they mostly do not eat the leaves/stems (which is wise). They love smashed cherry tomatoes though. They devour all the green bean vegetation they can reach...

and I also feed them Swiss chard, but I would never give them rhubarb... Beet greens are probably okay. Here's a link to a list of dangerous plants and safe plants -- if you do an internet search, you may be able to find other lists as well.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=15+1912&aid=2236

Good luck with the new girls

 

[blackwpk]

Wow, you are a wealth of information, thank you so very much! Our girls are doing great. They arrived this last Wednesday morning (4wk olds) and they are making themselves at home in the new coop. I am steadily but surely learning so much already! They are drinking/eating/scratching their little hearts out, lol! I'm totally in love with my girls! <3 <3

 

[Garden Peas]

They're sweet!

 

[blackwpk]

Thank you, Garden Peas! <3