What kind of grain or grass ahould i cultivate around the outside of pen to provide green feed.l?

[jeannetteshari]

I would like to plant and cultivate a safe nutritious tall growing grass with safe green and dried grain crop that the chickens can feed on through the fence and as well, i'd like to cut and feed the outer unreachable green stuff throughout the year. I live in south Mississippi and can probably grow most grains. Any ideas? Thanks

 

[yellowherb]

I use the deer forage seed bought from tractor supply. That way I know it's all safe for animals, if deer can eat it chickens can too I figure. I grow it in plant troughs though and feed it as 3-5 inch seedlings. A cheaper alternative is oats. I paid $15 for a 50lb bag and although it takes a while to sprout, it makes a nice tall grass. They will eat it, but not decimate it like they do the deer plot seed plants.

 

[jeannetteshari]

Thank you

 

[yellowherb]

Welcome to BYC, it's a great place

 

[DreamsInPink]

I use the deer forage seed bought from tractor supply.  That way I know it's all safe for animals, if deer can eat it chickens can too I figure.  I grow it in plant troughs though and feed it as 3-5 inch seedlings.  A cheaper alternative is oats.  I paid $15 for a 50lb bag and although it takes a while to sprout, it makes a nice tall grass.  They will eat it, but not decimate it like they do the deer plot seed plants.

Is the deer forage seed all one type of seed, or a variety?

 

[yellowherb]

It's many types. There are larger seeds of some sort of oat, teeny seeds like from rye or radish and a few other types. The bag I'm currently using is called Hot Spot. There were several blends of deer plot seed at my TSC.

I feed it to the chickens, budgies and cockatiels. It does not last long at all. I tried growing it in troughs in front of my aviaries but found the chickens went and ate the oat seeds, then after everything sprouted they were eating it faster than I could grow. So I had to move my troughs and pots out of reach haha.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...s-blend-4-lb-covers-11-000-sq-ft?cm_vc=IOPDP1
This is similar to what I'm using now. I did a bag of the oat mix before this one, it all gets eaten. My husband says watch out for that rape seed, it can get out of hand if the birds don't eat it. I don't have that problem.

If you look for "deer plot" at TSC you will see all sorts of seed.

 

[yellowherb]

I plant heavy since it's not full grown when I feed it to the chickens and birds.
Coffee cans make good planters


Nearly at the point I feed it

The chickens got on the table and ate the oats out of this one

 

[jeannetteshari]

I think I will plant oat. Hope it does well here in mississippi. Don't think i'll have a problem with it getting out of hand because the lawn will boarder it and we'll mow the edges to control. I use organic local wood chips for gardening by the truck loads from the tree triming companies that service our road sides. For now, i've started the process of killing off the lawn around the pen with some seasoned chips full of worms and bugs and have used some rain gutters i had laying around to make shallow root planting areas for some shade loving herbs i'll grow through the summer while the chips are doing the job of getting rid of the lawn. Our chicks love the bugs that scatter when i process the chips with water when watering the herb seeds i just planted. My mom and i built a great pen for the 12 EE hen chicks we got easter weedend : ) i love these birds. They are growing like weeds and are so tame. Thank you all for the advice.

 

[jeannetteshari]

 

[DreamsInPink]

It's many types.  There are larger seeds of some sort of oat, teeny seeds like from rye or radish and a few other types.  The bag I'm currently using is called Hot Spot.  There were several blends of deer plot seed at my TSC.

I feed it to the chickens, budgies and cockatiels.  It does not last long at all.  I tried growing it in troughs in front of my aviaries but found the chickens went and ate the oat seeds, then after everything sprouted they were eating it faster than I could grow.  So I had to move my troughs and pots out of reach haha.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...s-blend-4-lb-covers-11-000-sq-ft?cm_vc=IOPDP1
This is similar to what I'm using now.  I did a bag of the oat mix before this one, it all gets eaten.  My husband says watch out for that rape seed, it can get out of hand if the birds don't eat it.  I don't have that problem.

If you look for "deer plot" at TSC you will see all sorts of seed.

Thank you very much! I'm definitely going to do something like this. I wish I could grow it through the winter when greens are less plentiful for them.