what to grow in my run for my chickens to eat

[morsekathan]

Our run is 25 X 100 and it was down to dirt in less than two weeks with just 4 chickens. The first two weeks I had chickens, I thought they should stay in the pen that we built for quite a bit of money. However, the hens didn't agree and kept escaping - jumping off the roof of their coop to freedom - so they free range now and the pen is just for show. However, it had ivy and pachysandra along with a nice grassy area and while the girls pretty much destroyed the English Ivy and grass, the pachysandra was left untouched and actually looks pretty good. btw, the grass never grew back even though they spend very little time in the run - just enough time to get in and out of their house. So, despite what the book "Free Range Chicken Gardens" says, I don't believe that it is possible to grown anything in your run; my chickens have pretty much destroyed everything growing in my backyard. Thank goodness I like chickens more than plants and I have a nice front yard where they don't go.

 

[janinepeters]

Well, it is a question of space. For about 6 years, I have had a flock of 10-20 chickens which spend the day in a 1/4 -1/3 acre fenced in yard. They have scratched up some areas for dust bathing, but overall the grass is in good shape, and I have 3 apple trees, a pear tree, hazelnut bushes, and blueberry bushes all doing nicely in there. Lots of space, so lots of greenery.

 

[1dude]

You could get a roll of plastic fencing; I think it comes in 50 foot rolls 3 or 4 feet tall. Get a 6 or 8 1/2" pieces of rebar and wire the fencing to the rebar posts. I think the rebar comes in 8 or 10 foot pieces, need to cut them. Basically make a temporary portable fence then section off areas for them. My issue is my dog has a very strict no animals in the yard policy!

 

[galefrances]

Have you thought of building them a salad bar in the run? I don't remember now where I originally saw it, but it's easy to build. Make it any size you like. Mine is 2 ft. by 8 ft. by 1 ft. Nail the boards together, no bottom, and place it in the run. Fill it with topsoil, add either grass seed or any mix of seeds you like. Make a top of 1x2's and hardware cloth or chicken wire ( mine's hardware cloth ) and secure it to the bottom with hinges. Keep it watered and whatever you plant will grow up through the wire. The chickens will be able to eat the growth, but won't be able to get to the roots to destroy the plants because of the wire. Mine is built, but my husband hasn't put the topsoil in yet. I have to go back and find the site so I can plant the best mix of seed. It took so long to get the darn thing built and in the run that I forgot what they grow in it! ( not that it took too long to build, it just took so long to motivate my husband ) I just went and checked. They do recommend the hardware cloth because it doesn't sag when the chickens stand on it. You can plant any grass you want or some planted things like spinach and other greens, but the website "My Pet Chicken" sells a 'chicken grass mix' that you can grow in there and it grows rather quickly. Oh and some people don't make the top with hinges, they just staple the hardware cloth directly to the bottom. I also saw some suggestions that you can plant bushes and cover them with chicken wire, but I think the salad bar is more durable.

 

[oberhaslikid]

I did the salad bar thing with a pallet turn upside down. Then boxed in the ends to hold the dirt. Covered the top with chicken wire.
Added topsoil. Then I plant birdseed or wheat. It grows the fastest.I replant about every 2 weeks.
Empty your waterer in there when you change chickens water.

 

[darkmatter]

Plant fruit trees and trellised squash/tomatoes.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

No ground cover plant will keep up with chickens kept in an enclosed run. You can build raised beds and cover with wire to give green space to them they can't dig the roots out of.

 

[janinepeters]

I think if all I had was a 15 x 15 ft run, I would just put a compost bin in there, where I would deposit grass clippings, vegetable and fruit waste from the kitchen, and weeds from the garden. It wouldn't look as nice as the plantings described above, but it would be great for scratching/foraging. They would get the eat whatever plant matter they like, and the decomposition of the remainder would bring in lots of tasty insects and other invertebrates. Protected plantings look really nice, but because the birds don't get to scratch around in and under them, their value to the chickens is limited. Even with all the space they have (1/4 - 1/3 acre fenced in), my chickens spend over half their day foraging in our 6 wooden 3x3x3 foot compost bins.

 

[galefrances]

I think if all I had was a 15 x 15 ft run, I would just put a compost bin in there, where I would deposit grass clippings, vegetable and fruit waste from the kitchen, and weeds from the garden. It wouldn't look as nice as the plantings described above, but it would be great for scratching/foraging. They would get the eat whatever plant matter they like, and the decomposition of the remainder would bring in lots of tasty insects and other invertebrates. Protected plantings look really nice, but because the birds don't get to scratch around in and under them, their value to the chickens is limited. Even with all the space they have (1/4 - 1/3 acre fenced in), my chickens spend over half their day foraging in our 6 wooden 3x3x3 foot compost bins.

Does the compost attract rodents? I'd like to try this, but I've never done a compost before. It makes sense, having something they can scratch around in.

 

[janinepeters]

galefrances, we have not had a rodent problem in our compost, but we only throw stuff in there that is easily decomposed and/or eaten by chickens. Basically this means fruit and vegetable waste from the kitchen, garden and yard waste, and litter/droppings from both our chickens and rabbits. We also throw stuff like leftover pasta and bread on top, because the chickens will eat it right up. I sometimes throw out small amounts of leftover meats or eggs, but always chop them up finely to be sure the chickens will eat it all up right away. Those sorts of foods are not really appropriate for the compost anyway, and because they don't decompose easily, they get really smelly and will attract rodents, opossums, raccoons, dogs, foxes, etc.

A compost pile is really a lot easier for you than protected plantings, and I think it benefits chickens more. Although the plantings can provide shade, so might be a good idea if that is what you need, and certainly look nicer than a pile of compost.