Fred's Fine Fowl
06-08-2010, 03:37 PM
Hi Everyone,
Summer is begun and the sun is beating down on your garden and poultry.
Lately, I've been receiving several e-mails regarding what should be growing to suit the birds? What makes good range you may be asking?
Let me start right off by saying... please, don't treat your lot where chickens will forage, with any industrial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides... bad for them, bad for us let's keep it as natural as possible :}
If you are actually seeding with chickens in mind, rye grass is a good start.
Growing greens? Dandelions (every part is edible) you can pull them, dry them, chop them up roots and all and add them to your poultry feed. Herbs like nettles are vitamin packed! Alfalfa is chockablock with proteins minerals and excellent amino acids. I grow several rows of Kale in my vegetable garden just for the chickens... long after everything else dies out in the fall, your Kale will still be there providing dark greens (resulting in brilliant orange egg yolks) and vitamin packed nutrition!!!! TOP OF MY LIST
If you are growing rhubarb... the chickens will pick at the leaves (we don't eat those anyway) and this will work on their digestive system to remove any parasitic uninvited types. My chickens also self medicate by nipping at Comfrey.... vitamin A, B12, C.... protein, Iron... annnnnd, if you get a cut, tear off a comfrey leaf or two, break them open and the result is bleeding that is stopped in it's tracks and a well on it's way to healing! (disclaimer.. I am NOT giving any medical advice... and am NOT a medical practitioner)
But... it works! (';')(';' )
Keep your birds well supplied with fresh water... multiple drinkers so they are never without on the hot dry days to come.
Line their nest boxes with mint, as this may discourage bugs and makes your chickens smell nice.
Oh.. if you feed them garlic or onions? You will be tasting that in the eggs... weird but true...
For those of you who are near Erie Pennsylvania, I'll be giving a backyard poultry seminar at the Whole Foods Co-op on Tuesday the 15th....
Here is the Link (http://www.wholefoodscoop.org/retailer/events/ret_events.asp?storeID=7CE9AED4291A4249833F2893B79 7892C)
Maybe I'll meet some or you there? I'll be bringing lots of chicken related equipment for discussion and demonstration purposes... starts at 6:00 pm.
Ok.. well that's it for today, enjoy your birds!
Fred
www.FredsFineFowl.com
Summer is begun and the sun is beating down on your garden and poultry.
Lately, I've been receiving several e-mails regarding what should be growing to suit the birds? What makes good range you may be asking?
Let me start right off by saying... please, don't treat your lot where chickens will forage, with any industrial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides... bad for them, bad for us let's keep it as natural as possible :}
If you are actually seeding with chickens in mind, rye grass is a good start.
Growing greens? Dandelions (every part is edible) you can pull them, dry them, chop them up roots and all and add them to your poultry feed. Herbs like nettles are vitamin packed! Alfalfa is chockablock with proteins minerals and excellent amino acids. I grow several rows of Kale in my vegetable garden just for the chickens... long after everything else dies out in the fall, your Kale will still be there providing dark greens (resulting in brilliant orange egg yolks) and vitamin packed nutrition!!!! TOP OF MY LIST
If you are growing rhubarb... the chickens will pick at the leaves (we don't eat those anyway) and this will work on their digestive system to remove any parasitic uninvited types. My chickens also self medicate by nipping at Comfrey.... vitamin A, B12, C.... protein, Iron... annnnnd, if you get a cut, tear off a comfrey leaf or two, break them open and the result is bleeding that is stopped in it's tracks and a well on it's way to healing! (disclaimer.. I am NOT giving any medical advice... and am NOT a medical practitioner)
But... it works! (';')(';' )
Keep your birds well supplied with fresh water... multiple drinkers so they are never without on the hot dry days to come.
Line their nest boxes with mint, as this may discourage bugs and makes your chickens smell nice.
Oh.. if you feed them garlic or onions? You will be tasting that in the eggs... weird but true...
For those of you who are near Erie Pennsylvania, I'll be giving a backyard poultry seminar at the Whole Foods Co-op on Tuesday the 15th....
Here is the Link (http://www.wholefoodscoop.org/retailer/events/ret_events.asp?storeID=7CE9AED4291A4249833F2893B79 7892C)
Maybe I'll meet some or you there? I'll be bringing lots of chicken related equipment for discussion and demonstration purposes... starts at 6:00 pm.
Ok.. well that's it for today, enjoy your birds!
Fred
www.FredsFineFowl.com