Chicken bald back

[Craftfairy]

We are not getting our chickens until the end of April but I am starting work in the garden and the greenhouse and wondered if anyone grows anything for their girls?

I have read that they like cabbage, lettuce and spinach all of which I was going to have a to at but wondered if you had any recommendations?

[Olly]

Mine get the bolted cabbages, manky spinach leaves etc - I don't grow anything specially for them. Time is too precious to spend on growing chicken food! I do usually manage to produce a good crop of weeds which they enjoy, though.

[jackian]

Chard is great as like spinach it grows really quickly and pull a leaf off and it keeps re growing ,I have some that has been going all through the winter all the plants are smaller now. You can grow it in tubs and buckets if you are short of space . Any cabbages or leaves from broccoli except red cabbage they won't touch it .it also gives them bright blue poo .When I first saw it I nearly rushed to the vet .

Dandelions ..They just love them and have loads of iron in . The neighbours will give you them for free .

Lettuce is best avoide I find as it gives them the poops .

 

Jackie x

[BlueSilver]

They can eat what is bolted, usually - I have some last bits of overwintered kale. And don't forget your hens really love dandelion greens, so when weeding you can toss those in there and your chooks will thank you. I find there isn't much of a need to grow things specifically for hens - they are happy with bits and bobs I would normally compost in any event, as long as it isn't rotted down or mouldy.

[Chickabee]

Mine love dandelion leaves and rocket. I don't grow anything because everything I plant dies

[sjp]

I'll sow a tray or 2 of salad leaves or rocket if I've got any freebie seeds or out of date brassica seeds plus they get any brassica that have blown or failed to get any size on them, beetroot tops and sweetcorn cobs that have set kernels properly and they also get the pruning's from the apple trees and grape vine plus any small or damaged apples and grapes plus anything else they can scrump

[LizzieLloyd]

Dandelions and rocket are a firm favourite (although I buy the rocket from the supermarket!)

[Valkyrie]

I have grown calabrese for them but it does take up a lot of the veggie bed. One year when we just had the 3 orpies we let them in the veg patch and they finished up the old sprouts - although they won't touch them if I buy them in and when I have grown a couple of plants for them since they didn't want them either, so that's off the list. Chard definitely. Just been clearing my bed of those and they've dived into them very quickly. Also beetroot - they'll leave the chunky bit but love the leaves - leaving the chunky bit on helps them hold it down while they snatch at the leaves. We get a lot of smooth sow thistle weeds that I let grow - it can be pulled easily and they really love that. Pak choi is another favourite. And we also gave the sweetcorn cobs that hadn't formed properly to them to finish off. Don't let them have leeks - it taints their eggs - yolks are fine, but the white has a metallic taste to it. Weird huh!!! They also have a taste for chives on the odd occasion.

[patsylabrador]

I have done growbags of low curly kale for them. It makes them happy especially if I put it all in their run (not the bag) in one go for them to dig through.

[Beantree]

We used to grow Savoy cabbage and sweetcorn for them. The mice and pigeons used to get the sweetcorn as well, despite my best efforts. There was very little undamaged that we could eat. Savoy cabbage gives the eggs a very golden yolk and too much sweetcorn makes them fat though. They also liked brussel sprout outer leaves and beetroot leaves. Given the chance they would raid the strawberry patch but soon got sick of raspberries. They liked tomatoes as well, preferring the seeds to the flesh, but it all went quickly.

 

I was going to try sunflowers but know others that tried only to discover that the heads rotted before fully ripened and dried.

[keyhole kate]

Swiss chard if you grow the bright lights variety it looks brilliant amongst your beds and is easy to grow just keep picking leaves mine has going for two years and still feeding the girls

Edited March 26, 2014 by Guest

[Craftfairy]

Thanks folks I picked up some chard seeds today and some salad leaves for us!

I have plenty of weeds for them to feast upon when we get them!

Is there anything that is poisonous to them that could be growing in the garden?

I plan to get some omelet netting so I can section off where they free range

[Guest]

If you plant a cocoa tree then let your flock dig round it you will get cream eggs at Easter

[Valkyrie]

[jennie186]

Just ordered swiss chard bright lights seeds!

[Valkyrie]

Nice in salads and stir fries too.