what to sow

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snow white

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what to sow
« on: January 24, 2014, 18:13 »
My chickens are in mobile coops on my allotment.  What can I sow for them that grows quickly so that I can move them onto that crop?  I have some grazing rye seed, what else?

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Geo

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Re: what to sow
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2014, 20:08 »
I grow cabbage. lettuce and carrots for them in the garden. I also gather dandelions when available.
They have their pellets during the day and the greens etc are put in the run later in the day.

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BabbyAnn

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Re: what to sow
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2014, 21:35 »
Like Geo, my run is permanent and I fetch greens - there's a massive patch of chickweed on my allotment plot that has been a godsend.

As for sowing, well this time of year is going to be difficult anyway.  I imagine something like brassica seeds will germinate and grow quickly in spring - radish should have good leafy tops in a short time.

I have a bit of ground in my garden that I'm going to fence off to grow poultry pasture http://www.thegrassseedstore.co.uk/poultry.html?gclid=CKeH-7upxLsCFQoYwwod2C8Alg - a mix of various seeds, but not necessarily quick I'm afraid.

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finleyfreyaseth

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Re: what to sow
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2014, 07:01 »
I just throw in few extra cabbage ,and I grow chard round the edges of various beds looks lovely with its diff colored stalks and leaves plus the chooks love it ,they get the heads of my sprouts cauli leaves

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Prod

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Re: what to sow
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2014, 08:42 »
You could try 'Green Manure'  if you look it up online you will see lots of different types but on the whole is relatively cheap. A lot of people who have allotments use it, if they have spare area they are not using. The idea is that it grows, quite quickly, (compared to vegetables)and then you dig it in/turn it over and it enriches the soil naturally. You could let the chickens eat it. There are many varieties and some are actually quite attractive.  Hope that helps. :)

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New shoot

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Re: what to sow
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2014, 09:33 »
If I have a patch of spare ground on the plot, I chuck a handful of poultry corn down.  Mine love the newly sprouted green growth, its much cheaper than buying seeds for anything else and it will germinate nearly all year round.  I just pull out handfuls and bring a carrier bag home for them.  If there are roots and bits of soil to inspect and sort through, so much the better in their book  ;)

I also mulch various bits of the plot and sometimes beds at home with spent bark chips from the run.  I often get an odd wheat stalk growing, so I leave it.  It pulls out really easily and they go crazy for the seed head, then attack the rootball and finally have a good peck at the leaves  :lol:

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snow white

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Re: what to sow
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2014, 17:38 »
I like the idea of throwing bird seed down. I get a chicken scratch mix with different seeds in.  Thank you. Will just grow some veggies on their patch as well so when moving times come, they get a lovely surprise. :D

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New shoot

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Re: what to sow
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2014, 18:02 »
Its the wheat that germinates without fail and its the wheat grass they love to eat, so the cheapest poultry corn wlll do  ;)

If they get veggies as well, they will be in chicken nirvana, but I bet it doesn't last long  :lol:

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BabbyAnn

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Re: what to sow
« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2014, 18:58 »
Funny you should mention the germinating wheat/seeds - the other week I had to do some digging in the run to lay some paving down and the girls had to come and help me to dig as well LOL.  There were no end of seeds that were just germinating (obviously seed that had got missed and buried in all the scratching and with the rain and sunshine had started to sprout)  They soon disappeared  :lol:

 

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