Hey Guys! Heres my Chicken cover crop mix. Thoughts?

[SunflowerKing]

Most dominant plants in my mix from direct sowing is crimson clover, nasturtium, buckwheat and gem lettuce. I didn't clean up the space much so I have a lot of narrow leaf plantain and chicory regrowing from a previous year when I put down a chicken forage mix. I put my sunflowers in as seedlings and cleared the chaos from around them so they got a good shot at it, and that has worked just fine. I'm not sure if the sunflowers would have got going as well if they were direct sown.

Nasturtium, really? That's excellent! Do you throw any grain crops in the mix by any chance?

As for the sunflowers... they are pretty heavily represented in my mix. I am fairly confident they can do it.

 

[raingarden]

If you cut the entire seed head, will the seed be able to dry without molding?

Japanese millet can produce a lot of small seed while tolerating poorly drained soil.

 

[SunflowerKing]

That sounds like a good pumpkin choice. Honestly my pumpkins haven't kept up very well this year in there, I've only got 2 that will make it to harvest. I don't really mind as it's my experimental space too and I've got a lot of pumpkins elsewhere.
I've got an old swingset frame in there with some plastic trellis and some string trellis attached and I've used that to provide somewhere for peas and beans to grow up to get them up and out of the crowd. That was working very well until the humidity went crazy high this year, and all my peas everywhere in my gardens have died fro

If you cut the entire seed head, will the seed be able to dry without molding?

Japanese millet can produce a lot of small seed while tolerating poorly drained soil.

Ive not had a problem with mold but admittedly this is my first season growing millet. Obviously anything that molds will be thrown to the chickens. They wont have a problem with that.

In addition, this season will be a general experiment with how effecctive this method is for me. Key goals are as follows: Little time spent on maintenance, harvest and feeding whilst simultaneously improving soil and beneficial bug populations.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Key goals are as follows: Little time spent on maintenance, harvest and feeding whilst simultaneously improving soil and beneficial bug populations.

Thinking about these goals. First off…they’re good goals!

Another thought - where it makes sense, you should consider perennial options wherever possible.

Plant once, less soil disruption, potentially deeper roots, etc.

 

[SunflowerKing]

Thinking about these goals. First off…they’re good goals!

Another thought - where it makes sense, you should consider perennial options wherever possible.

Plant once, less soil disruption, potentially deeper roots, etc.

Yes! I am also planning to create a chicken food forest system using Syntropic farming! That will be a much larger system. This system is merely supplementary and "hands off" annuals.

The entire goal of my homestead is based on the principal to feed chickens year round, for free. It is my belief that if I can achieve that my family will never starve.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I did a mix of oats and field peas last year as a cover crop, but haven't done them in my chaos garden. I think they would come up fine. The main issue I'm working through for my own plans is that different seeds will come up in different soil temps. So if I put down grain and peas they will germinate and grow before most flowers will and potentially shade them out. I'm thinking I can still sow them out together then knock back the early starters.

I don't harvest any grains to store except as a bit of planting seed. I did store some peas. But mostly I cut the whole stem and throw that to the chooks and they can do the work themselves. They loved the oat stalks with the oats still in.

 

[SunflowerKing]

I did a mix of oats and field peas last year as a cover crop, but haven't done them in my chaos garden. I think they would come up fine. The main issue I'm working through for my own plans is that different seeds will come up in different soil temps. So if I put down grain and peas they will germinate and grow before most flowers will and potentially shade them out. I'm thinking I can still sow them out together then knock back the early starters.

I don't harvest any grains to store except as a bit of planting seed. I did store some peas. But mostly I cut the whole stem and throw that to the chooks and they can do the work themselves. They loved the oat stalks with the oats still in.

would you recommend growing oats in my mix? they have a 11-15% protein percentage... do you think they'd compete in the mix?

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I think yes they would, as they likely will germinate as one of the first things, depending on your climate. Give it a go and see what happens! You could always do a couple different mixes and sow them next to each other and see what works best.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Yes! I am also planning to create a chicken food forest system using Syntropic farming! That will be a much larger system. This system is merely supplementary and "hands off" annuals.

The entire goal of my homestead is based on the principal to feed chickens year round, for free. It is my belief that if I can achieve that my family will never starve.

Very cool! Keep us posted on how it goes and the journey.

 

[Maureen in Chesterton]

Thanks for the lengthy assessment! This is exactly why I started the thread. I wanted a dialogue with someone to help me work out the possible flaws.

1. Borage is mainly in the mix to attract bugs and accumulate nutrients and leave them on the topsoil once the frost comes. I also use borage leaves in a tea and plan on selling the seeds on Etsy.

2. As for some plants suppressing other plants... I’m absolutely ok with this. I will take notes year after year and if a particular plant seems dominant I may draw back the seed amount in the mix.

I plan to roto till the field every year and start over. This way it’s like pressing the reset button but adding fertility year after year.

3. The goal is to have a no maintenance crop. If one thing does better in a particular season that’s alright... because it’s all edible for my chickens and me.

4. I intend to harvest all the seeds I can... when and if it’s convenient. Again, I’m stressing that this is a wild, no maintenance crop.

When I use cover crops, it's for the soil improvement / pollinator forage / weed suppression (due to competition). Many cover crops' value is realized after they are tilled back into the soil. The plants I grow for harvesting I plant in a more organized way, so the crops have the space, and I have the access (paths) to harvest them. I often let borage reseed itself in my garden - but lately have been pulling it in frustration, because it out competes my food crops. Your mix looks great - but as a cover crop, not harvesting crop, unless you enjoy the adventure of foraging. If you allow the chickens in to graze it as it matures, I think you'll have very happy animals & good soil (given the fertilizer that will be going back in). If you have the room, and fencing, maybe experiment with one section grown with the idea that your chickens will be allowed to forage / harvest, the other purely for your harvesting...and see which you like better.