[Geo]

my hens dont have any grass to feed on as they totally destroyed the lawn they had access to.
To compensate for this I have been growing green cabbage, red cabbage. lettuce,tomatoes and also gather dandelions from nearby fields. What else would you suggest planting or looking out for when collecting  the dandelions.

[joyfull]

they love sweetcorn and tomatoes so perhaps you could try growing those. If you grow the tomatoes in hanging baskets the chickens wont be able to reach them until you want to give them some.

[spud]

I grow extra parsley, cabbage, kale, virtually all greens and as I keep the hens closed in over the worst of the winter they just go crackers every day to get at the greens ... I also feed them green tripe once  a week and it too goes down a treat.

Cheers

 

[Geo]

I have a greenhouse Joyful and they had most of a very poor crop of tomatoes last year. Am I correct in thinking I read somewhere that you have not to give them clover?

[Geo]

Spud what is green tripe?

[joyfull]

my lawn is full of clover and as the hens free range they eat it. I also have laurels, yew, apples (the pips are poisoness in great quantities) plus probably lots of other plants that they shouldn't eat and come to no harm  

[Geo]

I will give them some clover, apples just get ignored and end up in the bin.
Can't blame them I never eat them myself

[joyfull]

mine love apples, pears, cherries and the plums we have growing in the garden.

[Geo]

Bananas are by far their favourite but I try not to give them too many as I believe they are high in sodium   Yes/no?

[joyfull]

no, they are high in potassium and low in sodium  .
the majority of your hens feed should consist of their layers pellets and just a little greenery. Too much in the way of greens etc can lead to very loose poohs.

[Geo]

Thanks joyful
The green are not their main food they do tuck into the layer mash that is available all day for them.I tend to cut back on the greens if the poo gets a messy

[Ice]

Mine would walk over hot coals for sweetcorn, but I buy it frozen and would never grow it just to feed the hens.  As joyfull says, mine get a little in the way of greens to supplement the layers pellets and also a little grated carrot.  I find it makes the yolks darker.  Might just be my imagination though.

[Geo]

they stop short of throwing carrots back at me they hate.
I think I will buy the sweetcorn as I have never had any success growing it here.

[compostqueen]

They like carrots but you have to grate them so they can get them down.

I used to give them fresh weeds too

[Ice]

They like carrots but you have to grate them so they can get them down.

I used to give them fresh weeds too

Absolutely.  Mine didn't know what to do with them until they were grated.  I also gave them weeds, I think it was called "Fat Hen".  Was hoping it was called that because it was good for them, not because it caused them to get bloated.