What to plant/sow in “resting” chicken yard?

[TanyaTS]

Hello - my chickas have a huge pasture for supervised only free ranging, their enclosed run with pine straw floor for when we are not home, and a movable fenced yard for when we are home but not right with them. I have been rotating their yards. Question: what should I sew to replenish the yard not in use? I don’t want to use any kind of treated grass seed. Any tips?
thanks!

 

[TanyaTS]

Umm duh - SOW

 

[leslielbk]

What a great idea! I wonder if I could mix some marigold seed in there?

 

[TanyaTS]

I will do clover - thanks!

 

[TanyaTS]

Middle TN - on the highland rim with more acidic soil. I would just like to prevent it from eroding. If it is hard to get anything to grow in those conditions then would clover be the best bet? What is growing now - not sure. Their coop, run and yard areas are at edge of pasture where the woods start.
Thanks for the help

 

[leslielbk]

There are several seed companies that sell "chicken mix" seed or varients. Usually they are mixes.

There are many good cover crops that would work for chickens - and you can do a mix of those that would work in your areas.

It was mentioned in another thread that one person went out and bought 50# bags of "wild bird seed" and sowed that. Came up gangbusters and was a mix the pastured chickens went crazy over. Much, much less costly then buying the other seed types.

That's brilliant!!