plants for chickens

[lyn]

hello again can you help me please what can i plant in a plot of soil so that the girls can look for both grubs and eat some plants/veg as well

[TPeers]

Anything fast growing and edible! Cut and come again salad might last an hour or so!

Basically hens will destroy any ground you put them on is short order - thick, uncut turf lasts best and that is measured in days.

If you want to grow stuff for them to put into the run then I suggest fill a series of plant trays - you will need loads - sow something that grows fast - alfalfa, spinach, mixed lettuce..... and every time you have a mature tray, slide it in. The hens will have trashed it within 24hrs so just swap it out and start again.

[Becca]

Probably a supremely daft question but I don't suppose theres any remote chance they'd like nettles would they? hoping to get chooks soon and thinking i may take them on day trips to the lottie (for a bit of variation in their foraging and so they get a bit more time out of their run, securely penned in and kept an eye on of course ) unfortunately, most of the uncultivated area is currently nettle/bramble ridden to a greater or lesser extent..

[Claire72]

Mine leave the nettles well alone, unfortunately.
They love cauliflowers, cabbages, strawberries........Anything I wouldn't like the to eat really

[Becca]

well it was worth a try... I suspected that would be the case.. i'm sure that i have plenty of more palatable weeds for them, and maybe even some veg, tho i got frosted last night so less than i'd hoped..

[TPeers]

Chickweed, dandylions and goosegrass (clevers) are the weeds my lot go for most.