If you are a homesteader, you probably already have a garden, but have you ever thought about growing a garden just for your chickens?
Growing a chicken garden may seem silly at first, but it can actually help mimic the natural diet of chickens, greatly improve the health of your flock, produce better-tasting eggs, and save you some money.
However, there are many ways to reduce the cost of raising chickens. We have described many of them in this article.
One of the best ways to reduce the cost of chicken feed is to grow some yourself!
If you only have time to take care of a few plants in your chicken garden, you can grow a large number of nutrients to feed your chickens with squash, tomatoes, and sunflowers without much effort.
These three plants tend to grow like weeds with the right amount of sunlight and can provide abundant crops for you and your flock.
Chickens in the wild certainly do not survive on chicken pellets, and to guide your flock to optimal health and well-being, it is important to mimic their natural diet as much as possible.
This varied diet will provide your flock with all the vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber they need to be at their best. When you consider how many different types of food chickens can eat, it seems silly to feed them only boring chicken pellets.
Growing a variety of fruits, grains, vegetables, and herbs will improve the health of your chickens and result in more eggs and a longer life with fewer health problems. This tasty diet will benefit not only your chickens but also you and your family.
Chickens fed a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids produce healthier and tastier eggs. It's a win-win situation!
Sprinkle dried and fresh herbs in the nest boxes and dust bath. You can also feed the herbs fresh to the chickens when they are growing profusely!
This circle of life can be used to your advantage. Bugs are a wonderful source of protein for your flock. If you spot them feeding in your garden, simply pick them off and feed them to your chickens.
Make them work hard in their own garden by providing fertilizer, working the soil through their scratching, and eating pests like insects and weed seeds. Growing a chicken garden or letting your chickens help in your garden can benefit both you and the chickens!
Herbs:
Fruits:
Grain / Seeds:
Why start a chicken garden?
There are many reasons to take the time to create a chicken garden. It is good for you, your family, the planet, and your flock.Growing a chicken garden may seem silly at first, but it can actually help mimic the natural diet of chickens, greatly improve the health of your flock, produce better-tasting eggs, and save you some money.
1. Save money on chicken feed
Many people get chickens because they enjoy raising animals in their backyard and getting "free eggs." Then they realize that those eggs are not free, but come with the cost of chicken feed, bedding, coop, and healthcare.However, there are many ways to reduce the cost of raising chickens. We have described many of them in this article.
One of the best ways to reduce the cost of chicken feed is to grow some yourself!
If you only have time to take care of a few plants in your chicken garden, you can grow a large number of nutrients to feed your chickens with squash, tomatoes, and sunflowers without much effort.
These three plants tend to grow like weeds with the right amount of sunlight and can provide abundant crops for you and your flock.
2. Make healthy feed for your flock.
Chickens are omnivores, which means they naturally enjoy a varied diet of veggies, grains, fruits, seeds, and of course meat. If you create a chicken garden, you can feed your chickens a rich diet similar to that of their ancestors and wild cousins.Chickens in the wild certainly do not survive on chicken pellets, and to guide your flock to optimal health and well-being, it is important to mimic their natural diet as much as possible.
This varied diet will provide your flock with all the vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber they need to be at their best. When you consider how many different types of food chickens can eat, it seems silly to feed them only boring chicken pellets.
Growing a variety of fruits, grains, vegetables, and herbs will improve the health of your chickens and result in more eggs and a longer life with fewer health problems. This tasty diet will benefit not only your chickens but also you and your family.
Chickens fed a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids produce healthier and tastier eggs. It's a win-win situation!
3. It can also feed your family!
Not only do your chickens reap the benefits of a backyard garden, but your family can also feed off of it too! Most of the garden plants we mention below would taste just as good to humans as they do to chickens.4. There are many uses for herbs in the chicken coop.
If you grow herbs in your chicken garden, you will find countless uses for them in the chicken coop. Herbs are an excellent health factor for your chickens, whether you feed them to your flock or scatter them around the coop.- Mint is superb for improving your chickens' eggs and respiratory health.
- Basil is a great antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune booster for your chickens.
- Oregano is the ultimate herb to grow for your chickens as it can help them fight parasites and infections.
Sprinkle dried and fresh herbs in the nest boxes and dust bath. You can also feed the herbs fresh to the chickens when they are growing profusely!
5. Chickens help control pests in the garden.
There's no denying that chickens love to eat bugs, and what do bugs love to eat? Garden plants!This circle of life can be used to your advantage. Bugs are a wonderful source of protein for your flock. If you spot them feeding in your garden, simply pick them off and feed them to your chickens.
Make them work hard in their own garden by providing fertilizer, working the soil through their scratching, and eating pests like insects and weed seeds. Growing a chicken garden or letting your chickens help in your garden can benefit both you and the chickens!
The following plants can be grown in a chicken garden
Vegetables:- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Bok Choy
- Beet greens
- Butternut squash
- Acorn squash
- Summer squash
- Zucchini
- Pumpkin
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Peas
- Cabbage
- Cucumber
- Potatoes
Herbs:
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Basil
- Mint
- Comfrey
- Thyme
- Lemon balm
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Chamomile
- Dill
Fruits:
- Strawberry
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Gooseberries
Grain / Seeds:
- Corn
- Wheat
- Oats
- Sunflower
Tips for your chicken garden
- Never feed your chickens vegetables or fruits that are moldy. If you would not eat it, neither should your chickens. Mold and mildew can cause health complications in your flock.
- Do not feed dried beans to your chickens. If you grow beans in your garden, cook them before feeding them to your chickens.
- Create a separate perennial garden to make growing them easier! Perennials will grow back year after year without you having to do anything, and are a great way to supplement your chicken feed. Herbs like mint, lemon balm, and thyme will come back, as will fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
- Leafy greens and cabbage can be placed in a vegetable orb to provide good entertainment for the chickens. By entertaining your chickens, you can curb bullying and destructive behavior.
- Do not let the chickens into a garden that is just getting started. I know it can be tempting to release your flock into the garden, but if the garden is just getting started, the seedlings and sprouts are too fragile and will be trampled, dug up or eaten by hungry chickens. You can safely let your chickens into an already established garden or let them into a spent garden to help eat weed seeds and insects and leave some fertilizer behind!
