One thing to consider when planting for chickens is the overall "ecosystem" and how you can work with it. That patch would do well to have some Little Bluestem along the ridge, for example. Big and bushy, they provide a hint of protection from wind and rain, but also gobs of seed and delicious grass blades. Their clumping nature also makes a nice home for bugs that the chickens can hunt. Being one of the Big 5 prairie grasses, it's eminently suited to your site and its deep rooting nature will help aerate the soil and prevent erosion. Similarly, you could buy some Carex seedlings to plant, taking advantage of their 'green mulch' properties and fibrous root structures to help build the soil and aid water penetration. Native plants are always a great opportunity to really work with the ecosystem, especially when they provide food for the chickens!
Great idea. I was thinking of doing the same but to alternate from one section to the other and plant a couple of mullberry trees so the birds could eat the fallen berries.
That weed there at the end is mallow! Very good chicken feed and human food! A compost pile in there would also be a hens best friend they enjoy kicking through finding bugs :) They looked super excited to get in that grass!!
@@theorangetreehomestead6660 its related to okra so leaves can be used like that. root and seeds are also edible. as is the flower Hollyhocks are also completely edible, although not the most choice texture. Hollyhock flowers are the best, however, great for livestock!! Lots of protein :)
Great job! We all need to do what we can to feed ourselves and the animals we raise! I have a neighbor that has tons of comfrey. Going to get that and plant. I watched one video that took 4x4 wire and rolled into a circle about 3-4 ft high. Placed over some greens to allow them to grow more and the chickens can put their heads in the 4x4 wire but not completely eat all the greens down. Easy to pick up and move around...the manure will fertilize and help the greens to grow rich.
I'm not sure if you want to go to this extreme but i live in a rural area with several free range chicken farms. I went to a few of them and asked if I could dig up a few plugs of their turf and everyone was fine with it. Well that was a year ago and I now have a beautiful blend red clover and white clover, wild onion, nettle, geranium, thyme (as it grows wild here), dandelion and a host of other plants. Just an idea
Take some scrap wood and make a frame and cover the frame with hardware cloth and lay it on the ground in the run and seed. They can get at it as it grows out but can't scratch or peck it all bare. Just needs to hold that hardware cloth an inch or more off the ground.
They may be weeds to us, but they play a major role in livestock’s nutrition especially the red, white and purple clover. I just let my pastures grow wild and the chickens will pick out and eat what they need. Just keep sowing seed monthly because they will eat more and more the older they get. Small pebbles are good for a chickens crop to break up the food. I give mine oyster shell and also grit. Giving them plenty of greens and vegetables will also help create better tasting eggs.
It looks good! Now you have to keep rotating the chickens. Give the ground some rest every once in a while. And the blend is the best option. The more variety the better for the nutrition of your chickens!
I think dandelions would be a good choice because they say they are nutritious (I eat them myself) plus even if the chicks eat all the leaves, more leaves always come back from the strong tap root and they survive winters.
I’d continue to add wood chips in the bare areas to breakdown and change composition of the soil. You can add clover or cover crop. We are looking to make a “yard” for our girls too. This is the only video I could find that had a good visual without an overhead netting. I’d like to do more deep bedding composting with mine. Thanks for sharing!
Pretty cool! Looks like it all worked out. If it were me (and I live in florida so way different climate) I would roto-till the whole thing as deep as possible and add some manure, but for you maybe regular sand 🤷♂️ for better drainage.
After years, centipede grass has finally all but taken over my place. Only thing left is the area behind my house that has a mix of bermuda, fescue, clover, nut grass and weeds. My birds only get out in the afternoons. They work the centipede for the bugs and worms it holds. But they hit the back hard for greens and they do pick around some but they gorge themselves daily on the nut grass (aka crabgrass) more than any other thing they find. Good they have a variety to pick from, they know what they need but the bulk of their greens comes from that nut grass. I know everybody hates the stuff and for good reason but it's serious chicken food. It won't last too much longer here because the centipede is encroaching from both sides and nothing survives centipede grass, not weeds or grass.
Rent a tiller or buy one, spread 777 fertilizer and lime till the ground then add more triple 7 fertilizer do a wide variety of grass and grazing mix seeds also throw in some winter food plot seeds plant a few sage bushes around the border and a couple in center also plant a fig tree in very center it will provide a food source and shade when it gets older.
Probably if was doing this would plant a cover crop that's specifically for decompaction or some light tillage. It's definitely a success. Another idea would be to use the yard as a compost yard first to get some soil life and they seed it.
It looking great but I wonder how long it will last. I have done this from time to time and the chickens scratch it up in no time. I have now put pallets over some areas then they can eat the green parts of the plants but not scratch the roots up. It seems to work well.
it did not last that long, especially since we get very little spring rain. What I need to do is seed the area before winter rains, then block it off from them as the greens sprout up.
That's why you have two runs and put them in one while you reseed and grow up the other. You have to use fast growing crops, I use buckwheat and clover.
I am soaking whole grains overnight and adding to the coop run more then the chickens can eat daily. They till the seeds in deeper and cause them to sprout giving them a treat a few days later. I also put a ring of wire or a bucket over some of the areas for a week allowing the greens to grow 5-6 inches then turn them loose on it. The soil no longer looks like cement and I know they are getting good seeds, sprouts and greens by making them do all the work.
Unfortunately I lost motivation on this one. And we also get virtually no spring or summer rain so I have to use quite a bit of water to get this going. I may try to seed something in fall/winter that way the rain can water it.
@@theorangetreehomestead6660 too bad u lost interest. Hope you are letting th chickens use it anyway... hope u let it all grow and go to seed before letting the chickens munch... personally I would use a pasture mix for sheep to graze the chickens on... a wide variety of edibles for chickens... if you have a free source of sawdust I would make a big pile in the center to help hold moisture... and less watering if you can put in some larger rocks (fist size or bigger) as they will catch the dew every day and do some watering for you
Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase,” Proverbs 3:9 Awsm work & great learning for me as beginner!😊. In your leisure can u pls make video on how to do mud bath mix. Thanks in advance. Liked & subscribed u now. Bless your family & poultry in Jesus Name. May you flourish & cherish its first fruits to Christ n be blessed more abundantly. God bless.
Not well haha. It turns out these species werent ideal for what I wanted. And then coming into the recent winter season I did not replant it because of too much other stuff going on. Hope to redo this again someday.
@@theorangetreehomestead6660 you'll have to look for a different variety give it three to five years and you'll find the right mix for your area. Or the next best thing is find somebody who's lived in the area for a while and get their opinion on it. That way you won't have to keep on trying something new.
The mix gives a greater variety in their diet and nutrients. Good job in that project. I love your helper guy there. So cute
One thing to consider when planting for chickens is the overall "ecosystem" and how you can work with it. That patch would do well to have some Little Bluestem along the ridge, for example. Big and bushy, they provide a hint of protection from wind and rain, but also gobs of seed and delicious grass blades. Their clumping nature also makes a nice home for bugs that the chickens can hunt. Being one of the Big 5 prairie grasses, it's eminently suited to your site and its deep rooting nature will help aerate the soil and prevent erosion. Similarly, you could buy some Carex seedlings to plant, taking advantage of their 'green mulch' properties and fibrous root structures to help build the soil and aid water penetration. Native plants are always a great opportunity to really work with the ecosystem, especially when they provide food for the chickens!
Thanks, we are definitely trying to add more lush vegetation to make these hens happier and healthier.
Great idea. I was thinking of doing the same but to alternate from one section to the other and plant a couple of mullberry trees so the birds could eat the fallen berries.
That weed there at the end is mallow! Very good chicken feed and human food!
A compost pile in there would also be a hens best friend they enjoy kicking through finding bugs :)
They looked super excited to get in that grass!!
We have tons of mallow here. I had no idea that its edible, thats cool.
@@theorangetreehomestead6660 its related to okra so leaves can be used like that. root and seeds are also edible. as is the flower Hollyhocks are also completely edible, although not the most choice texture. Hollyhock flowers are the best, however, great for livestock!! Lots of protein :)
Thank you for sharing
Great job! We all need to do what we can to feed ourselves and the animals we raise! I have a neighbor that has tons of comfrey. Going to get that and plant. I watched one video that took 4x4 wire and rolled into a circle about 3-4 ft high. Placed over some greens to allow them to grow more and the chickens can put their heads in the 4x4 wire but not completely eat all the greens down. Easy to pick up and move around...the manure will fertilize and help the greens to grow rich.
I'm not sure if you want to go to this extreme but i live in a rural area with several free range chicken farms. I went to a few of them and asked if I could dig up a few plugs of their turf and everyone was fine with it. Well that was a year ago and I now have a beautiful blend red clover and white clover, wild onion, nettle, geranium, thyme (as it grows wild here), dandelion and a host of other plants. Just an idea
6 weeks of me seeding and tending and watering, 2 days of my chickens shaving it all to the bare ground.😄
Takes them no time!
Take some scrap wood and make a frame and cover the frame with hardware cloth and lay it on the ground in the run and seed. They can get at it as it grows out but can't scratch or peck it all bare. Just needs to hold that hardware cloth an inch or more off the ground.
They may be weeds to us, but they play a major role in livestock’s nutrition especially the red, white and purple clover. I just let my pastures grow wild and the chickens will pick out and eat what they need. Just keep sowing seed monthly because they will eat more and more the older they get. Small pebbles are good for a chickens crop to break up the food. I give mine oyster shell and also grit. Giving them plenty of greens and vegetables will also help create better tasting eggs.
Really nice looking run for the hens, Sean! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
It looks good!
Now you have to keep rotating the chickens. Give the ground some rest every once in a while. And the blend is the best option. The more variety the better for the nutrition of your chickens!
Spoiled happy chickens! As they should be 🥰
What a transformation! Love this idea💚
I’m wondering if some wild birds came n had a buffet after you scattered the seeds 😱
Could be the case!
I think dandelions would be a good choice because they say they are nutritious (I eat them myself) plus even if the chicks eat all the leaves, more leaves always come back from the strong tap root and they survive winters.
So true!!
I’d continue to add wood chips in the bare areas to breakdown and change composition of the soil. You can add clover or cover crop. We are looking to make a “yard” for our girls too. This is the only video I could find that had a good visual without an overhead netting. I’d like to do more deep bedding composting with mine. Thanks for sharing!
I believe thats going to make a lot of chickens VERY happy!
They love it so far.
@@theorangetreehomestead6660 oh yeah thriving pasture, thats a big addition!!
I bought a pasture blend from a seed company when I ordered my garden seeds. Been waiting to plant it… thanks for the info!👍🏻🌷
??
Pretty cool! Looks like it all worked out. If it were me (and I live in florida so way different climate) I would roto-till the whole thing as deep as possible and add some manure, but for you maybe regular sand 🤷♂️ for better drainage.
After years, centipede grass has finally all but taken over my place. Only thing left is the area behind my house that has a mix of bermuda, fescue, clover, nut grass and weeds. My birds only get out in the afternoons. They work the centipede for the bugs and worms it holds. But they hit the back hard for greens and they do pick around some but they gorge themselves daily on the nut grass (aka crabgrass) more than any other thing they find. Good they have a variety to pick from, they know what they need but the bulk of their greens comes from that nut grass.
I know everybody hates the stuff and for good reason but it's serious chicken food. It won't last too much longer here because the centipede is encroaching from both sides and nothing survives centipede grass, not weeds or grass.
Rent a tiller or buy one, spread 777 fertilizer and lime till the ground then add more triple 7 fertilizer do a wide variety of grass and grazing mix seeds also throw in some winter food plot seeds plant a few sage bushes around the border and a couple in center also plant a fig tree in very center it will provide a food source and shade when it gets older.
Very nice.
Beautiful! Can you please tell me how long it lasted for that amount of chicken? Weeks? Months?
Thanks for the inspiration! Go Dad
Probably if was doing this would plant a cover crop that's specifically for decompaction or some light tillage. It's definitely a success.
Another idea would be to use the yard as a compost yard first to get some soil life and they seed it.
Neat idea. We could Probably do the rotating pasture thing like you said. Thanks
those purple flowers are white clover...very good for chickens! Do not just use one type of grass or seed though...you want a mix for them
Maybe next time you could rototill the hard areas and then seed and see if your germination is better! Good idea to rotate yards!
excellent chicken coop
It looking great but I wonder how long it will last. I have done this from time to time and the chickens scratch it up in no time. I have now put pallets over some areas then they can eat the green parts of the plants but not scratch the roots up. It seems to work well.
it did not last that long, especially since we get very little spring rain. What I need to do is seed the area before winter rains, then block it off from them as the greens sprout up.
That's why you have two runs and put them in one while you reseed and grow up the other. You have to use fast growing crops, I use buckwheat and clover.
I am soaking whole grains overnight and adding to the coop run more then the chickens can eat daily. They till the seeds in deeper and cause them to sprout giving them a treat a few days later. I also put a ring of wire or a bucket over some of the areas for a week allowing the greens to grow 5-6 inches then turn them loose on it. The soil no longer looks like cement and I know they are getting good seeds, sprouts and greens by making them do all the work.
I think the seeds all got blown or washed to the middle that's why it grew like that
water carried the seed to the low spots , just as you saw when you first wet it.
Im just starting my pasture from sand and am excited to see how it goes.
Awesome. Hope it works out a little better than it did for us!
Happy Gals!!
Give them kitchen scraps
Exactly what type seeds were in the blend ???
You’re first weed is mallow. Heavily eaten in India and edible for chickens. Too much can cause the runs. It does reseed.
✨what is the name of this grass.....? please tell me the name if possible.👍🙏
Nice!
Thank you! Cheers!
good
I like this idea, how is it working out now, a year later? Have you been able to rotate your hen pastures and avoid feeding bought feeds?
Unfortunately I lost motivation on this one. And we also get virtually no spring or summer rain so I have to use quite a bit of water to get this going. I may try to seed something in fall/winter that way the rain can water it.
@@theorangetreehomestead6660 too bad u lost interest. Hope you are letting th chickens use it anyway... hope u let it all grow and go to seed before letting the chickens munch... personally I would use a pasture mix for sheep to graze the chickens on... a wide variety of edibles for chickens... if you have a free source of sawdust I would make a big pile in the center to help hold moisture... and less watering if you can put in some larger rocks (fist size or bigger) as they will catch the dew every day and do some watering for you
How is the pasture doing now?
Love your chickens. We are open for product review collaboration.
Sure, email me more info OrangeTreeHomestead@gmail.com
Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase,” Proverbs 3:9
Awsm work & great learning for me as beginner!😊. In your leisure can u pls make video on how to do mud bath mix. Thanks in advance. Liked & subscribed u now.
Bless your family & poultry in Jesus Name. May you flourish & cherish its first fruits to Christ n be blessed more abundantly.
God bless.
Thank you, we will trust in Jesus during these crazy times!
there are some shots of chickens and a yard ; but a lot of this video is about a guy's face...
subscribing you
It looks like you have some white clover in there which is good for the chickens too.
How is it going since you last posted your video?
Not well haha. It turns out these species werent ideal for what I wanted. And then coming into the recent winter season I did not replant it because of too much other stuff going on. Hope to redo this again someday.
@@theorangetreehomestead6660 you'll have to look for a different variety give it three to five years and you'll find the right mix for your area.
Or the next best thing is find somebody who's lived in the area for a while and get their opinion on it. That way you won't have to keep on trying something new.
What state are you in ?
California
Wow, personally I would have done it way different, such as rototill, seed, then spread straw.
#529
Lmao thryll take it out in about 2 days,waste of time