I just got a few chickens (4 hens and 1 rooster) and I'm curious about what I might grow to help feed them. I want to save a bit on feed costs and still provide them with a balanced diet. They'll have access to store-bought chicken feed and free-range opportunities to forage. Are there any specific crops or plants I can grow that would be worthwhile? I'm hoping to get some tips or recommendations from others with experience!
3 Answers
Have you thought about planting some clover in your backyard? Chickens love it and it provides good nutrition. You can also get creative with a compost pile; it'll attract bugs and might have mealworms for them. Plus, planting things like pumpkins or squash can give you a great cycle with your flock during the growing season!
Yes! I always have extra scraps from my garden—zucchini and pumpkin are great options!
For saving money, I recommend skipping the rooster since you only need hens for eggs. Roosters can be noisy and require extra food. My chickens love eating weeds, and I often throw them any garden scraps I have, like damaged veggies or extra zucchinis. Zucchinis are easy to grow and don’t take up much space!
True! If your chickens are free-range, a rooster can be helpful for protection, but it’s not essential.
And zucchinis are perfect for them, especially when they start producing more than you can handle!
You could start with some fast-growing greens like lamb's quarter, which is actually a common weed and highly nutritious for chickens. Also, I've seen some great YouTube tutorials on setting up a soldier fly larvae farm; they’re a fantastic protein source and relatively low maintenance. You might also want to consider planting some cabbages or corn from nearby farms for variety!
Yeah, I heard they love weeds! It can be great for foraging.
Awesome tip! I had no idea about lamb's quarter. Definitely going to look into soldier fly larvae too.
Thanks for the clover suggestion! I think I might try that along with the compost idea!