[Thrift]

Our poor hens and ducks are totally deprived of greenery at the moment so with further winter freezes in mind I wonder what to grow for them.

I seem to remember some swiss chard one year which survived everything nature could dispense, also amazingly some mixed salad. Do any of you grow anything specially for your birds? It is a pity to have all that empty space on the veg plot without putting it to some use.

[Dabhand]

My 6 girls must be the fussiest ever as they won't eat greens and salad stuff!  they eat grass when they are free-ranging but that's all.  They will only eat layer pellets, mixed corn and kitchen scraps!  Weird!  They lay well in the warmer months and are giving me 1 - 2 eggs a day at the moment so it hasn't affected them. 

[min200]

After spilling some corn earlier this year and it romping away growth wise I plan to sow a load in the spring using the heads for the chooks and the straw for the rabbits etc!

Oh and cabbages...they love cabbages!

[avilla]

My 6 girls must be the fussiest ever as they won't eat greens and salad stuff!  they eat grass when they are free-ranging but that's all.  They will only eat layer pellets, mixed corn and kitchen scraps!  Weird!  They lay well in the warmer months and are giving me 1 - 2 eggs a day at the moment so it hasn't affected them. 

Same here !!! do like the odd corn on the cob thou 

[cornishgirl]

Anything - and they don't just go for cabbage. Try swedes (which sit in the ground attracting slugs and insects which try and hibernate in the middle - nectar for hens), stored marrows which start to go soft - or not, peelings from carrots, why not try boiling up some potatoes etc to go out in the afternoon. Kale is a possibilty also - but personally I like to cook it first.

[SamnElla]

Chickweed,you can buy seeds on the internet (mine came from a tortoise breeder !) grow it like salad in containers on your window cill, and as the name implies they love it.

[penninehillbilly]

stored marrows which start to go soft - or not, peelings from carrots, why not try boiling up some potatoes etc to go out in the afternoon. Kale is a possibilty also - but personally I like to cook it first.
what good timing, yeaterday OH brought some squashes (look like thin marrows) which were chilled + soft,-presumably same family so they should be OK? would anyone suggest raw or cooked?
meant to grow kale, will do next year, I shall hang it up raw and if they don't eat it I'll stick it in a pan, boil and try again so they get both choices.
I'm actually more worried about the geese, they need the grass even more than hens.
let's hope we don't get too much more of the white stuff and low temps.

[Crusty]

For winter greens  - leaf beet (swiss chard, etc.), leek leaves (never discard excess leeks when planting - plant them in clumps), salsify (for the leaves over winter, not the roots), all of which are easy to save seeds from.

[digalotty]

im sure aidy was cultivating a fst growing weed to feed his chucks,  cant remember what it was but im sure he will be allong to confirm soon 

[Thrift]

Chickweed,you can buy seeds on the internet (mine came from a tortoise breeder !) grow it like salad in containers on your window cill, and as the name implies they love it.

I forgot about chickweed! I had some for myself in the tunnel ..... if it has survived they will love it. Too cold for me to contemplate salads.  

Lots of great ideas ..... thanks to everyone.  

[massa]

sprouts!! mine always seem to blow so the chooks always seem to get them! they do go mad for them though! 

ps  i wish i needed to buy chook weed seeds i cant seem to get rid of the stuff!!!!

[Debsie]

mine go mad for kale, they know which one they like though, cavolo nero!!

[orchardlady]

I have an excellent green grocer locally. I pop in there several times a week and collect a feed sack or two full of wonderful chicken goodies. They are all the trimmings of their stock or items that they feel are a bit ropey although I often cannot see a problem with the items. I remove all citrus fruits, fennel, anything from the onion family, avocado, They love the salad greens and cabbage trimmings, the cauliflower, tomatoes, purple sprouting, spinach, courgettes etc. Any root veg or squashes I bake for the birds and feed in the afternoon with some corn.
It's always worth asking your local green grocer as all this only gets skipped. Anything that they don't eat or leave or is not suitable I put in a feed sack and the bin men take it along with my household food waste and the local council compost it.

[New shoot]

After spilling some corn earlier this year and it romping away growth wise I plan to sow a load in the spring using the heads for the chooks and the straw for the rabbits etc!

If you sow poultry corn they will go mad for the leaves whilst it is green and growing and the seed heads generate wild excitement.  I use old bark chips from the run as mulch so usually have a spot of wheat greens to feed somewhere on the plot.  It also usefully germinates almost year round 

[SamnElla]

We cut down the sprouts for tomorrows dinner today, desprouted the stalks, and hung up the stalks in the run, the girls went nuts for them, so there you go - sprout stalks - instant greens and entertainment for bored, cold chickens