It ’s no big closed book among small - great deal owners that we might muck up our chickens every now and then . We ca n’t help it ; their trick and backyard risky venture are so lovely , and we simply want to show them our affection in issue . Because many of our volaille do n’t pronto submit to cuddle and hug , we bend an honest-to-god proverb : The agency to a boo ’s heart is through its stomach .
Buying bag of wimp treat can become a bit pricey , however . Similarly , on a regular basis adding chicken items to your family ’s market list can increase your food market budget , not to mention a few eyebrows . luckily , threetreatsyour bird will love might be uprise right outside your doorway . You might conceive them weeds , but your chickens will consider them delicious treats to eat . harvesting when they are immature and tender ; not only will the plants regenerate but also , when roll at an early degree , chickens can moreeasily endure them . An added fillip : Because these leafy plants contain plenty ofxanthophyll , an orangish - sensationalistic pigment , the testis your layer produce will have rich , golden yolks .
One important note : If you apply pesticide or herbicides to your garden or treat your lawn chemically , do not feed these works to your chicken , because ingesting thesechemicals can potentially harm your bird .
Short of that , here are three weeds your chicken will perfectly feed .
1. White Clover
Once a part of popular lawn - seed mixes , livid clover ( genus Trifolium repens ) is alegume that originated in Europe and Asiaand is now widespread throughout the United States . Its treble leaves aredrought tolerantand stay a bright dark-green during the most arid summers , providing fowl with refreshful , tasty forage that rapidly grows back in pretty much any soil experimental condition .
Besides being beneficial to your birds , trefoil attracts pollinators including bee and butterfly with its pink - white flowers . Clover alsonaturally fertilise your lawnby take nitrogen from the air and deposit it in the grunge . Growing it in your yard will not only decrease your lawn - maintenance costs but will also provide your flock with close to continual forage .
2. Dandelion
Very few homeowner are ever happy to see the spike heel and yellow flowers of dandelions ( Taraxacum officinale ) bug out up in their yards — few except flock custodian who make for the kitchen shear to harvest those tender lion ’s tooth leaves and flush heads that chickens screw . amass the foliage while they are young , as they become baffling and bitter once they pass four inches in length . The flowers are at their tastiest when they ’ve just blossomed ; simply nip these off their root and offer them to your hen . you’re able to even thresh about the leaves and heads together to make a refreshful salad for your flock .
In addition to the golden - white-livered lutein paint that enriches nut - vitellus color , dandelion are also rich invitamins A , B2 and K. In fact , when pick dandelion leaves for your layers , consider harvesting some for yourself .
3. Crabgrass
In a beautifully manicured lawn , crabgrass ( Digitariavarieties ) presents a less - than - desirable coming into court with its wide blade and clumpy growing . Most varieties of finger grass can speedily reach meridian of two feet , easily dwarf domesticize grass and making lawn maintenance a challenge .
You might dislike how crabgrass looks , but your chickens have intercourse how it tastes , eagerly use up tender untried shoot . Besides being palatable , crabgrass also contains a luck of character and gross protein , nutrient essential to a crybaby ’s diet . Harvest the peak of the crabgrass sprout when they touch about six inch in top to let for re - establishment . Once finger grass is firmly establish , it should reseed itself for the following year . Commercial varieties , include Red River and QuickNBig , are also available if you ’d like to grow crabgrass for forage .
Ana Hotaling
Ana Hotaling
NY State IPM Program at Cornell University/Flickr
