What would you put in your garden for poultry?

[anno1]

My extended chicken run is about 30 feet long, and 6 feet wide. I have one spot in it that has narrow (1/2"x1") wire fencing on 2x4s on the ground, such that plants can grow through the fencing without the chickens scratching them up. Right now, in January (albeit a very mild winter so far) I have Austrian Field Peas growing in it. I'll toss old lettuce seeds in there in the spring. I also put grass seed and a variety of other old veggie seeds in. Buckwheat is good in there too. Oats.
I have logs between a couple of the fence posts within the run, and filled dirt in between the fence posts and the logs, and put chicken wire over it. In those areas I plant more things the chickens would like, including pumpkins (Sugar Pie) that can climb the fence, provide shade, and feed the chickens in the fall. The chicken wire is up high enough (attached to the fencing) that the pumpkin plants will be fairly well developed before the chickens can get to them. I plan to put cucumbers in that area as well, again to climb the fencing and shade the chickens, and then provide feed for the chickens.
I close off part of the run for the chickens periodically, and plant it with old seed. I also put calendula, feverfew, sage, mint (my chickens love all sorts of mint), lavender, oregano, lemon balm (invasive--a mint relative) in there. I keep that part of the run closed off until the plants reach 6" or so tall, then open it to the chickens. It gives them a few days of a lot of greens before they destroy it. (So far the ground hasn't gotten so sour to keep the seeds from sprouting, but I imagine that will happen eventually).
As to plants in the garden, I grow many of those already mentioned. I grow peanuts, which the chickens can eat. (Not sure about the plants)
I am developing a permaculture garden to give my chickens a place to range (I have a huge hawk and fox problem, so I would lose them if I let them totally free range.) It has fruit trees, (apples, peach, plum, pear,) bushes (blueberries, nanking cherries and a dwarf cherry tree, gooseberry, currant, Siberian pea shrub, kiwi, blackberries --in a raised bed--invasive, and I'm getting a goji berry vine this spring which is supposed to be popular with birds) and a wide variety of perennials and herbs--including strawberries, black-eyed Susan. the herbs previously mentioned, Yarrow, Chamomile, wild garlic, chives, thyme, Day lilies, Bee balm, borage (chickens LOVE borage, as do bees). Sunflowers. Wild strawberries, clover. Plantain (I've taken to gathering seeds from "weeds" in yard like dandelion and plantain, and sprinkling them in the chicken run)
This part is an experiment. It is a space about 35'x50'. Many of the fruit trees are espaliered along the fence, and the others are being pruned to get no more than 6' high. It allows me to have more plants/trees. The goal being that there eventually will be lots of cover for the chickens.
I have had chickens and a garden for years, but never tried permaculture. Chickens will mow down everything in sight, so they will have limited access, only when I'm out with them, but, if things go well, they'll be able to be in there longer once the plants mature.
I am in PA, Zone 6. There are lists of herbs for chickens online, and they have lots of good ideas.
And as I tell my friends--yes, it really is all about the chickens, lol.

 

[Bob 1313]

Garlic. Good and good for them.

 

[nbryan]

We currently have chickens (8), turkeys (2), ducks (4) and quail (lots!). Although it's the dead of winter here in Illinois this time of year, Spring is not very far off. We will be prepping the garden in late March and starting to plant in mid/late April. We like to grow all sorts of vegetables, leafy greens and herbs. If I can keep the weeds down this year, we could be eating form the garden from late Summer to the start of winter, and possible longer if we have a surplus to can or freeze for the winter months. After all, our garden is ~1000 sqft (and I may decide to move the fence and till over more soil this year...). While the garden will hopefully feed us well, we'd like it to also supplement the feed for our poultry friends this year. What should we plant in the garden that chickens can eat?

So far here's the list of likely plants for the garden this year [and my thoughts on whether or not each is chicken friendly]:

Root vegetables:
- potatoes (2-3 varieties) [not for chickens]
- carrots [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]

Vegetables
- tomatoes (3-4 varieties) [not for chickens] I know they're fruit...
- hot peppers (2-3 varieties) [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- sweet peppers [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- sweet corn [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- pumpkins [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- zucchini [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- yellow squash [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- cucumbers (pickle and salad varieties) [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- winter squash (mixed variety) [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- cauliflower [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]

Leafy Greens and Herbs
- lettuce (2-3 varieties) [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- spinach [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- kale [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- parsley [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- oregano [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- basil [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- thyme [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- rosemary [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- dill [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]

Most of what we intend to plant is safe for the chickens to eat. I'm wonder though, what plants are beneficial and should be added? It wouldn't hurt to have healthier, happier chickens. Please share your thoughts and opinions.

The best garden crop I've fed to my chickens is forage radish, also called tillage radish. A kind of diakon radish, white, taproot shaped. I got the seed to help penetrate hardpan and improve the soil as a cover crop, and soon found out harvesting armloads of leaves and stems and throwing in with the laying flock was happily greeted, and the protein rich plants devoured. I moved the chicken pen to include some radishes and they were all pecked to nubbins in a few days. As annuals there's no worry about protecting them - straight to feed. The roots left in ground behind die over winter and decay the next spring, leaving channels through hard soils for water, nutrients, and other plant roots, and feeding decay bugs, which chickens also like.
Once seed established they grow lots of foliage quickly too.
Like I said, the best green feed I've ever raised for my birds.

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

We currently have chickens (8), turkeys (2), ducks (4) and quail (lots!). Although it's the dead of winter here in Illinois this time of year, Spring is not very far off. We will be prepping the garden in late March and starting to plant in mid/late April. We like to grow all sorts of vegetables, leafy greens and herbs. If I can keep the weeds down this year, we could be eating form the garden from late Summer to the start of winter, and possible longer if we have a surplus to can or freeze for the winter months. After all, our garden is ~1000 sqft (and I may decide to move the fence and till over more soil this year...). While the garden will hopefully feed us well, we'd like it to also supplement the feed for our poultry friends this year. What should we plant in the garden that chickens can eat?

So far here's the list of likely plants for the garden this year [and my thoughts on whether or not each is chicken friendly]:

Root vegetables:
- potatoes (2-3 varieties) [not for chickens]
- carrots [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]

Vegetables
- tomatoes (3-4 varieties) [not for chickens] I know they're fruit...
- hot peppers (2-3 varieties) [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- sweet peppers [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- sweet corn [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- pumpkins [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- zucchini [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- yellow squash [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- cucumbers (pickle and salad varieties) [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- winter squash (mixed variety) [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- cauliflower [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]

Leafy Greens and Herbs
- lettuce (2-3 varieties) [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- spinach [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- kale [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- parsley [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- oregano [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- basil [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- thyme [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- rosemary [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]
- dill [CHICKEN FRIENDLY]

Most of what we intend to plant is safe for the chickens to eat. I'm wonder though, what plants are beneficial and should be added? It wouldn't hurt to have healthier, happier chickens. Please share your thoughts and opinions.

I decided to make one of these. I added a small aquarium pump and it works great!!

 

[angela0408]

Curious why the tomatoes are marked not for chickens? Mine go nuts for tomatoes. If they have access, they will mow down the plants too. The plants are supposedly a nightshade and poisonous but nobody told my chickens because they eat them anyway.

I don’t know why either. My chickens eat peppers and tomatoes all the time. My special birds have lived until they were 8. So thinking it’s not a problem.

 

[BReeder!]

Garlic. Good and good for them.

You have to plant that in the winter right? That's what I've always heard at least... I'm not a fan of planting in the cold.

 

[BReeder!]

I don’t know why either. My chickens eat peppers and tomatoes all the time. My special birds have lived until they were 8. So thinking it’s not a problem.

I'm not necessarily saying the ripened tomato fruit is bad for chickens. However, I will not feed my chickens tomato vine. As for the ripened fruit, I hope to not feed them that either only because I want to can as many tomatoes as possible, making sauce, salsa, stewed tomatoes, etc.

 

[rosemarythyme]

As for the ripened fruit, I hope to not feed them that either only because I want to can as many tomatoes as possible, making sauce, salsa, stewed tomatoes, etc.

Mine just get any cracked/blemished tomatoes. When they all start ripening like crazy I can barely stay on top of them, so a lot of damaged tomatoes end up with the chickens.

 

[dirkandlorie]

I grow almost everything on your list too, but there are a few things I haven't seen mentioned yet. Sweet potatoes, I get the roots and my chickens go crazy for the leaves. I grow blueberries in pots since I also have clay soil, when I've put up enough jams and pies the girls glean the rest all summer long. And plantain, a weed that grows almost everywhere, best treatment for insect stings, but highly nutritious.

 

[BReeder!]

I grow almost everything on your list too, but there are a few things I haven't seen mentioned yet. Sweet potatoes, I get the roots and my chickens go crazy for the leaves. I grow blueberries in pots since I also have clay soil, when I've put up enough jams and pies the girls glean the rest all summer long. And plantain, a weed that grows almost everywhere, best treatment for insect stings, but highly nutritious.

Last year was our first year with potatoes and it was a successful crop in the garden. I would like more root crops and sweet potatoes ar high in the list, as well as celery root and carrots. I do grow radishes already, although they failed last year. I may try to incorporate sweet potato this year of there's room and if I can find them without having to pay expensive shipping fees. I may need to check local nurseries in March to see if they stock them.