what to plant in run

roycattle

In the Brooder
9 Years
Dec 21, 2010
10
0
22
We are going to build new chicken and duck barn. There is 2 acres that is bare farm ground that i would like to plant to use as a place to let chickens and or ducks run during the day. What would be something that i could plant. I know it will get tore up so am planning on reseeding every year if this happens. We live in indiana. Thanks for any help.
 
clover mix and alfalfa are good starts.

IF you want to go crazy you can do salad mixes in the spring the fall but you will have to keep the chickens and ducks out of it while it gremenates.
 
I have read that chickens especially love comfrey, so I bought seeds, but I haven't had any luck in getting them to germinate (in 3 tries; maybe I got old seeds) so I can't tell you from experience.

My chickens will eat darn near anything in the garden, but they especially LOVE spinach, tomatoes and strawberry plant leaves.

Good luck & happy planting!!!
 
Plant an Orchard. Mulberries are loved by chickens. Windfalls from apples, pears, persimmons are also good.
 
Our chickens do like comfry and while I have heard too much is bad for them, mine seem to self regulate - munching some but moving on. Find someone who will let you dig up and transplant it - once its established its immpossible to get rid of! I would suggest planting perennial type things against the outside of the run so they can be nibbled at but not destroyed by the hens. The girls love the simple stuff too - clover and those first dandelion greens. Also, I am a big fan of sunflowers - they love the seeds and can be saved for this time of year - just as fun to hang dry sunfower heads as cabbages! Mine also had a blast munching bugs off the zinnia just outside the run door all summer - boy are they missing those days under all this snow! (of course I should note - my chickens will eat near anything!)
 
My birds loved the brassica (relative of the turnip). Provides LOTS or protein, easy to grow, and if you have deer nearby, they'll find it. Scratch the earth toss it down, rake it in, done.
 

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