lesleysprite Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Hi, I'm looking for suggestions for perennial forage crops for chickens -what do your chickens like to eat (with or without your permission!)? On my list so far is mulberry, comfrey, siberian pea tree.... any ideas? Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Sounds a bit exotic, mine eat my lettuce, my carrots and my sweat peas none of which are perennial They eat my sedum which luckily came back again and was moved up the rockery away from thier little beaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Mine eat anything in the vegetable plot, without permission ... the only thing that they eat which I am happy to see disappearing into their beaks is bindweed! I'm not sure it's good for them, but they haven't suffered any ill-effects so far. Never thought of growing a forage crop specially for them ... you'd need quite a lot of whatever it is. I have comfrey, and they're not interested in it. I wish they'd eat dandelions and bramble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
migsy Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Mine love chives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesleysprite Posted July 13, 2010 Author Share Posted July 13, 2010 Chives -that is a good idea, I think I will try it. Its more to have some perennials growing in the pen they are in when I am not at home, to protect the ground and give some interest for them than to form a large part of their diet. there will be wire domes at the roots to stop them destroying the young plants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 I hope you're more successful at growing things in their pen than I've been. I've tried wire domes etc, but they've won every time!! I go foraging for greenery on my morning walks with the dog, throw it in the pen - and voila! All disappeared when get home.. but easier than growing it. Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roobaloo Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 I wish they'd eat dandelions Mine devour dandelions wholesale...but turn their noses up at whatever is rapidly trying to take over my garden!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Mine love dandelions and will devour red clover and any other stuff that I haven't fenced of. Alfalfa is unbelievably good for them, so would be a good thing to grow, but I'm not sure how successful you will be trying to grow it in their pen; my advice would be to grow it away from prying beaks and then limit the amount you give them to enable the crop to replenish. Bear in mind that free-feeding on some things isn't good for them; they need a balance of feedstuffs in their diet and too many greens at once will result in the most terrible diarrhoea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 How about planting up a selection of pots & swap them in & out so the plants don't get killed off............you could also plant a selection of different plants What spoiled little featherballs Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Good idea Sha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesleysprite Posted July 15, 2010 Author Share Posted July 15, 2010 Thanks for the tips all. The plant pots are a good idea, will definitely give it a try especially if the domes don't work. They free range for at least a few hours everyday anyway because I work part time so its more about making their pen a bit more interesting for them when they have to be in it, and stopping the soil going sour, than their diet. Lets see how it gos! Thanks Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 If you want to keep the ground fresh, then sprinkle regularly with a mix of Garden lime and Stalosan/BioDri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
