What to plant in the yard for the chickens to eat?

[Idranoel]

What can I plant for the chickens to eat? I have five laying hens and am in an urban environment, space is very limited. I do have some grass and they love it (not to mention all the raking they do in the mulched beds). Can you plant clover or something that they'll just go nuts for?

Dan

 

[Chicken Woman]

I plant bok choyand spinach .

 

[Dawn419]

Hi Dan and Welcome to BYC!

Our place was once an old cow pasture/hayfield so we have no lawn, to speak of.

We don't let them free range as we have too many predators (stray dogs being the worst) so I go out and pick them lots of greens from our yard.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1560-Field_Greens

Other plants that I grow for us and them include: lettuces(mesculum mix), shard, kale, tomatoes, peas, green beans (they prefer them steamed and won't touch them raw), squash, melons, cucumbers, sunflowers and carrots (they love the greens).

Also, check out the Chicken Treats Chart as there's alot of good information listed there.

Hope this is some help.


Dawn

 

[chickflick]

They sure loved my hostas!

 

[digitS']

My hens prefer the grass in the lawn to the white clover. They will eat both, however.

Dandelions seem to be appreciated

.

Steve

 

[Tala]

digitS' :

My hens prefer the grass in the lawn to the white clover. They will eat both, however.

Dandelions seem to be appreciated

.

Steve

Darn I was hoping for some help with my clover problem. Not that it's the end of the world, but I have a "love hate" relationship with my lawn weeds (mostly a collection of clover type varieties) some days I don't mind, other days I hate them!​

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

In the poultry yard one needs to provide a runway of small size with fresh greens. A cold frame to grow and provide greens for a daily supply for the chickens, to have self serve vege's. This cold frame can be made from 1" thick boards and 9"s wide. The dimensions, can be any size, but one good one is of 12ft long and 4 ft wide. The frame should be set from 3-4 inches in the ground. the top should b at least 6"s above the ground. Also making three sections to the frame do this, insert 2 boards 4ft apart from side to side.

To produce green food, the soil in the frame should be thourghly dug up and cultivated to provide a fine seed bed. Oats, wheat, rye or barley mixed with red clover seed is good, or screenings from these seeds. Then be sown thickly to close growth of plants. After the seed has been raked in, then a wire covered frame should be placed over the top. The seed bed should be watered daily, both morning and night.

This should be continued until the plants finish their growth. The top of the frame should be kept covered with muslin cloth until after the seed has sprouted. After the seeds have sprouted the cloth is remeoved and a more plentiful supply of water is sprinkled over the bed each time they are watered. As soon as the plants appear through the netting the fowls pick at it and eat them.

The mesh of the netting should not be greater than 1 inch and a smaller mesh is preferable. I would use 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch glvenixed wire, if it was me. The fowls should be prevented from reaching through and pulling the plants from the ground. Care should be taken to have the netting streached tight to keep it from sagging from the weight of the fowls. I would make it like the bottom of the cold frame.

With 2-3 support boards across the frame, side to side. Then nail the wire on top of the frame good. There is a good quality shingle nail that is about the size i used on my boards. Get the shiney nail as they go into the wood the easiest. With the wood being small sized. When plants are grown in this way the quickness of their growth depends largely on regular and plentiful supply of moisture.

If this requirement is overlooked, and the ground becomes dry enough to cause the plants to wilt, no amount of moisture or care will put them in a good condition. So you will have to start all over,

SO WATER GENEROUSLY AND OFTEN.
More information email me

 

[Marion]

Fantastic idea Glenda! Thank you for sharing it! Hmmm I wonder how hubby will feel about making one... grinz!

 

[sslavo91]

Quote:
Darn I was hoping for some help with my clover problem. Not that it's the end of the world, but I have a "love hate" relationship with my lawn weeds (mostly a collection of clover type varieties) some days I don't mind, other days I hate them!

I would love to have a lawn of only clover! No more using fuel to cut the grass. I think we need to re-evaluate what is a weed!

 

[ams3651]

mine love the white clover in the field but they also just like grass, lettuce, watermelon rind and nearly anything fruit and vegetable.