O/Y grazing chickens, what to plant

fixerupper · Apr 28, 2013

Just tilled up the chicken pen, it's about 14'X50'. The old buzzards we had for the last three years picked it bare, but they're gone and the new chicks won't be going outside for awhile so I thought I'd seed the yard with something instead of let it grow to weeds. Is there something chickens particularly like to graze on or should I just throw some oats in there? It seems ridiculous asking a question about what to plant for grazing chickens instead of cattle or horses or sheep LOL, but I thought I'd ask. Thanks. Jim

old · Apr 28, 2013

Oats or any common grass seed will be just fine. Nothing will last all that long once the chickens are turned out other then some type of weeds. I have one area of my chicken pen where I have some sort of weed growing and the chickens ducks and goose will not touch them

fixerupper · Apr 28, 2013

I meant to start the headline with O/T not O/Y! I'm kinda bushed tonight.
They're gonna chow down on anything I grow there. I didn't know if there is some kind of grass or plant that's better for them. These chickens are going to be judged at the fair in September for the granddaughter's 4H project. I know nothing about growing chickens for show. Maybe turning them out won't be good, maybe it will be. In the past it hasn't mattered if they've been uglier'n sin, just so they pop out the eggs. LOL Jim

RalphWD45 · Apr 28, 2013

If you want them to graze on it DONT plant fescue. I have had my chicken yard in fescue,for the last 3 yrs, and that tough stuff is ankle high right now, and never has been ate on by my chickens. It is so tough that they can't scratch it to oblivion, like they do my yard, if letout of the pen. Probably oats would be good, or rye.

old · Apr 28, 2013

Way way back when I lived in Leigh NE I got some rooster chicks from the local hatchery. Normally they killed the rooster. I got 100 of them for a buck. Yep 1 cent each. I was in 4-H back then and I had one of those roosters that came in 2nd place. We fenced the side yard of the house so they ran in normal lawn type grass and did just fine

ben there · Apr 28, 2013

our birds liked milo

Nate V. IA · Apr 28, 2013

Nieghbor uses portable chicken coops to rotational graze alfalfa, the boilers seem to pick the stems clean. That might not work to good with the price of seed and constant grazing pressure that your setup will have.

Nate

gene bender · Apr 29, 2013

What ever you plant it will not grow enough to graze this yr 14x50 isnt enoug space for very many chickens like the lady i hand sowed 1A of horse mix when it got up a few inches she turned them out and they stomped it to death. That plot will need a yr to get growth. We had 100 fryers on a 150x150 established Blue Grass sold them as fryers worked well.

OldFarmTractor · Apr 29, 2013

Google a picture of a "Chicken Tractor". Might be a better way to go.

Traditional Farmer · Apr 29, 2013

Get a good birdseed mix with things like Sunflowers,Milo,Millet etc.It'll grow quick and tall in an old chicken lot and the new chickens will love eating on it plus it'll provide some shade this Summer.I'd also lime the lot before I tilled it up

fixerupper · Apr 29, 2013

I forgot to mention it's 15 chicks now at 2 1/2 weeks old. Hopefully they'll all be alive by turn the time we turn them out. Jim

randallinMo · Apr 29, 2013

I'd grow either oats or sudan grass. The chickens will eventually kill it out, but I've thought about doing the exact same thing in my chicken pen. I saw one guy who built a suspended wire floor for the chickens to walk on and the grass grew up through the wire mesh. 'Really neat idea. His "floor" was built out of concrete wire mesh with chicken wire over the top of that and suspended about 6" up off the ground with 2x6's. THe chickens could eat the grass without stomping/scratching it out.

fixerupper · Apr 29, 2013

He had his head working the way it sounds. Never thought of suspending the birds above the grass. I like out-of-the-box thinkers. Jim

JRSutton · Apr 29, 2013

your parents must have been thrilled when you came home with 100 roosters!

JRSutton · Apr 29, 2013

interesting approach. Though you'd definitely want to supply some kind of grit somehow to help them digest it.

old · Apr 29, 2013

Ah but I had there permission to do so with the agreement that I took care of them. Which I did. The next year they asked me if I wanted to raise ducks and I said heck yes. A member of the Church my dad was pastor of gave me 100 ducklings that spring and I raised them. Good way for kids to learn how to take care of things and learn responsibility's. I was around 10 or so back then

JRSutton · Apr 29, 2013

never did ducks myself - what did you do with them?

can you sell the eggs?

old · Apr 29, 2013

I think but can not be sure that my parents butchered them. That is what happen to all but a few of the roosters I had. My prize winning Rooster was named Huber and he was a pet and he was all king of the coop

sammydwm · Apr 29, 2013

friend of mine always swore by rape.
We have used leaf lettuce seed along with oat seed.

Texasmark1 · Apr 29, 2013

Can't resist, forgive me:

Cow poop: Farmer leads the cow, pig follows, chickens come next,
and then the Opossom.

I never thought about planting. They like to scratch and all.
Something with a grain head to it. How about Millet, pearl, or
foxtail?

Mark

O/Y grazing chickens, what to plant

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