What to plant

[WindingRoad]

in my run. I have 2 areas of run with a gate between them. I would like to close that gate, rake that small run and plant some grass. I just don't know what to plant in there, I, of course, don't want any grass with fertilizer already in it. I will clean out coop first and take half of my droppings from the coop to put in there. I'm guessing that anything I plant and withstand chicken poop. LOL. When that area is well established I will shoo my chickens into that area, close the gate and plant the area close to the coop in a similar fashion. Gotta get it done before the black flies invade. So far no black flies probably because of the excessive rain. Like every other day. All this month so far. Can someone advise on what to plant? I want to get some marigolds also and put them in there. Thanks in advance for any insight you have.


Sorry I have posted in the wrong forum. Wanted the Coop Run, Maintenance one. Can some one move it. SORRRRRRRY

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The chickens won't necessarily eat the marigold flowers (which make the yolks darker).The two primary problems with growing things where chickens frequent are soil compaction and excess phosphorus. Chickens aren't that fond of grass nor is it particularly good for them. It is too fibrous. They like tender forbs like clover, alfalfa, peas in winter and buckweat in summer. Forage type turnips, radishes, beets, etc..

 

[WindingRoad]

The chickens won't necessarily eat the marigold flowers (which make the yolks darker).The two primary problems with growing things where chickens frequent are soil compaction and excess phosphorus. Chickens aren't that fond of grass nor is it particularly good for them. It is too fibrous. They like tender forbs like clover, alfalfa, peas in winter and buckweat in summer. Forage type turnips, radishes, beets, etc..

Thank you. They have eaten all the grass around the outside of their fence. It's old grass but nice and green, My chickens are crazy they seem to do everything they aren't supposed to do. LOL What cause excess phosphorus?

Where can I get alfalfa or buckwheat. They won't walk on snow much so I just keep the run door shoveled out 3-5 feet in the winter. And I have ramp there so they don't forage much. Now veggies they won't eat, lettece, cabbage, banana spinach (I haven't tried) none of these. They love purple grapes and blueberries but the blues give them diarrhea, bad. Grapes no but they might be too sweet. I could plant clover but I have a terrible deer problem. I don't know if they would get into the run. The deer ate my Macintosh. Don't touch the Honeycrisp. I have some great spray for my Blaze Red Maple, my Evergeen tree that has a bunch of
Cones on it now, and my Crabapple Tree. Have to wait until until dusk because of the daily wind we have been getting. Boy does that stuff stink. I'm gonna start wearing my Cover-19 mask. That might help. It will sure keep people 6 ft away from me. LOL.

Like your little ditty. It's so true that why when I travel I my make own itinerary. I try to go the the out of the way areas.

 

[WindingRoad]

The chickens won't necessarily eat the marigold flowers (which make the yolks darker).The two primary problems with growing things where chickens frequent are soil compaction and excess phosphorus. Chickens aren't that fond of grass nor is it particularly good for them. It is too fibrous. They like tender forbs like clover, alfalfa, peas in winter and buckweat in summer. Forage type turnips, radishes, beets, etc..

Could I grind up the marigolds and put them in feeders???

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thank you. They have eaten all the grass around the outside of their fence. It's old grass but nice and green, My chickens are crazy they seem to do everything they aren't supposed to do. LOL What cause excess phosphorus?

Where can I get alfalfa or buckwheat. They won't walk on snow much so I just keep the run door shoveled out 3-5 feet in the winter. And I have ramp there so they don't forage much. Now veggies they won't eat, lettece, cabbage, banana spinach (I haven't tried) none of these. They love purple grapes and blueberries but the blues give them diarrhea, bad. Grapes no but they might be too sweet. I could plant clover but I have a terrible deer problem. I don't know if they would get into the run. The deer ate my Macintosh. Don't touch the Honeycrisp. I have some great spray for my Blaze Red Maple, my Evergeen tree that has a bunch of
Cones on it now, and my Crabapple Tree. Have to wait until until dusk because of the daily wind we have been getting. Boy does that stuff stink. I'm gonna start wearing my Cover-19 mask. That might help. It will sure keep people 6 ft away from me. LOL.

Like your little ditty. It's so true that why when I travel I my make own itinerary. I try to go the the out of the way areas.

What cause excess phosphorus?
Feces.

Where can I get alfalfa or buckwheat.
Some feed stores or online.

They won't walk on snow much
I spread straw on snow so they will come out and have warm feet.

Thanks for the props on the travel thing. It is so true.

 

[WindingRoad]

What cause excess phosphorus?
Feces.

Where can I get alfalfa or buckwheat.
Some feed stores or online.

They won't walk on snow much
I spread straw on snow so they will come out and have warm feet.

Thanks for the props on the travel thing. It is so true.

I have an idea I won't put any type of fertilizer on the alfalfa . I will buy a couple of those big black tubs and put clover in them. They can hop up on them because they did last year to eat my tomatoes. Spell check put the e in there. LOL. I will just get some soil from around my lawn. It has not be fertilized; for the tubs instead of garden soil. See how it goes.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The value of alfalfa, besides its nutritional value, is that it has a long tap root that goes to the water table. So, once established, it is very hard for the chickens to kill.

 

[WindingRoad]

The value of alfalfa, besides its nutritional value, is that it has a long tap root that goes to the water table. So, once established, it is very hard for the chickens to kill.

That's good to know. BTW that's why that website was slow to download... Your were hogging the band width. LOL Just kidding. Funny I was just about to post the same thing. Alfalfa it is then. And the tubs with clover in them.

Is alfalfa a perennial or an annual. It's not to expensive either. I'll have to figure out how much to buy. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.