Chili Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Quick question to ask if it is ok to feed my hens swiss chard, alfalfa shoots and mug bean shoots I can grow all of these really easily and just wondered if they were suitable for the hens ( if they decide not to be picky and eat them ) Thanks Chili xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moochoo Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 They'll be fine as long as they'll eat them, what lucky girls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Mine love the swiss chard but won't touch sprouting bean things - they just bury them in the hemcore until they grow!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 There was an article in the Practical Poultry mag last year about a woman who grew sprouted seeds on an almost industrial scale to feed to her chickens. She swore by them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 I take the view that if I can eat it, they can - I cook potato peelings because they can be poisonous, and sometimes if there are some very tough greens or other peelings I will cook them or blast them in the microwave. Otherwise, any veg s"Ooops, word censored!"s go to the girls and they don't turn their beaks up at much! At the moment my 'treats' dish is filled with: left over cauliflower cheese (last night's tea), some celery trimmings (today's soup), some manky grapes that I took out of the fruit bowl, and and some uncooked broccoli (going off in the fridge). I'll take it out in a minute and watch them fight for the grapes, that's always entertaining! I'd have thought all the things you mention would be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Found this on a US website: Alfalfa contains saponins that can interfere with the growth of poultry and thus reduce egg-laying (Fuller and McClintock 1986, Oakenfull and Sidhu 1989). Low saponin cultivars have been developed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Sprouted beans are supposed to be good for chickens, as they are full of protein, but mine turned their beaks up at the mixed sprouts my OH bought in the supermarket. Always worth a try, though! Anything leafy usually goes down well, though, at least once they are grown up (a bit like humans really - we tend not to like bitter tastes such as coffee and tea when we are children). Mine love pak choi, and chard is quite similar - though less juicy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strepsy Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 That's interesting about the alfalfa, will give that a miss then. I've started some cress off for them after someone mentioning it, and have mung beans and broccoli to try next. I never got on with those sprouter things and always end up growing mine like cress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Ours love swiss chard. They pinched our entire crop from the polytunnel about a month ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 There are lots of contradictory reports about alfalfa on t'interweb and it's used as a component in some american processed poultry feeds . I might just give it to mine anyway, they're only going to have a small handful between 8 of them so it's not like it's their main subsistence. Janty, mine go nuts for chard too - you must have been so annoyed they ate all yours though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Hubby was remarkably calm. Not that he ever loses his temper but he is quite territorial about his fruit and veg garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Ours love swiss chard. Same here. I planted swiss chard 'bright lights'. They only like the yellow, pink and red chard though Won't touch the white stuff. I also have a small beds of perpetual spinach which I planted in May last year that is still going strong. I give them a handful a few times a week. It grows like a weed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Perpetual spinach is a great idea Christian, I must plant some. Do you take it off the plant yourself to give to them or just let the girls loose on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I have about 15 plants and pick a couple of leaves from each plant. I then tie it up with string and stand well back I can't believe how well the spinach has lasted. The plants stay really strong, as long as you only take a couple of leaves from each. They are in the wrong place for this years 'veggie plan' so I will dig them up and replant somewhere else. The chard needs moving too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Mine adore brocolli, it's one of their favourite treats, but I've never been very successful at growing it. I think the spinach may be a great alternative though Christian. Thanks for the tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 No problem Jules! Will try and take a picture later, it is a tiny bed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...