# Cover Crop for Chicken Run



## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

Because my neighbors are too close, we have to keep our chickens cooped. The chickens have free access to a large runs. We have 2 of these runs which we rotate. We can close off one run and the chickens only have access to one run at a time.

This time of year, through late spring, the runs get pretty messy with melting snow and rains. We do put in dried leaves and straw to prevent it from getting too muddy, but it's usually a loosing battle during long rains.

What we'd like to do is find a very fast growing cover crop where we can rotate the chickens to one run while the other grows up; then switch to that run while the previous one is replanted and grows up.

What kinds of grasses/seeds/etc. could we grow that would grow quickly and also grow through fall/winter? What could we grow through spring/summer? 

We're zone 6a; but do have very hot, humid, and drought filled summers.


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

clovers are pretty tough...and tasty.


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## StaceyS (Nov 19, 2003)

I work for a seed company and we usually recommend annual and perennial ryegrasses as "nurse" crops. They grow quick and allow the other plants to slowly grow.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

You might also try oats or winter wheat. I put some in my garden and though it is not growing, it is green - it might be a bit tall for the chickens' liking though. I do annual rye also. I think they would eat the clover better if you can keep it growing/green all winter.


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## postroad (Jan 19, 2009)

Kale would probably work


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## rwinsouthla (Oct 24, 2005)

Probably depends on the duration of the "rest" period. I would think you'd have to wait at least 3-4 weeks to allow for germination and the first true blades of grass to appear. Even at that age (3-4 weeks) they'll be so small and gone in 2-3 days and they you're back to mud. Chickens are hard on runs. 

You may do better finding a place with hulls, tare, bagasse or something like that instead of trying to keep grass going. What about a small chicken tractor out of PVC pipe that you can move daily through the rows of your garden while the runs grow in? That way, weeds are gone, poop goes into the garden while it's probably mostly dormant anyway, and the runs get to grow in for 5-6 weeks instead of 3. This is what I do on my empty rows just before spring to get my garden weeded. Sure beats bending over and squatting.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Winter rye, then oats and then a mustard to 'cleanse' the soil and then anything for the summer months.
To have a little patch that is always available for them to eat you can build a frame and top with rat wire. The green grows up through it, they can eat the tops but not scratch it to death. You can place your outside waterer on it and the splashings keep it growing.


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## kbshorts (Dec 6, 2005)

Peaceful Valley has a chicken mix. I have used it and it does ok if you keep them off it until it gets a good start. Pretty pricey.

Keith


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## Blue Oak Ranch (Aug 23, 2005)

If I recall correctly (which I certainly don't assume) the Peaceful Valley mix has buckwheat in it. Buckwheat causes phytotoxicity in poultry - their skin will become blistered and raw and weepy when exposed to sunlight. 

I went through this with my 2007 crop of half-grown turkeys. I planted buckwheat as a cover crop, then said, "hey, I can put the turks on it for a short bit before tilling in." Should have researched first. Baaad mistake. I saw symptoms within 24 hours, and the poor babies were frantic with scratching at their heads for over a week. Their eyelids swelled and blistered shut. I pulled them off the buckwheat at about 24 hours. It must have been extremely painful, too, as they were peeping that "it hurts!" peep constantly, and jumping and running to get away from the pain. It took several weeks for the birds to completely heal, and I have one hen that has a scarred eyelid from it. 

Buckwheat probably does okay diluted in a mix, but why chance it? I won't. 

Another option for your double yarding is veggie crops. You can raise food for you and the birds in the empty run, then let the chickens in after the harvest. Corn, leaf crops like kale, and sunflowers - all like lots of nitrogen and they will help prevent nitrate overload and runoff on your soil. Corn you can feed sweet or dried, leafy stuff as is, and sunflowers are just great to feed and store for later, too. Chickens appreciate the shade from the taller crops. I plant rows of corn and sunflowers just for shade for the birds. 

I plan on setting up large double yards this year, 100' x 50', large enough to get the tractor in for tilling. I plan on putting a few fruit trees in the runs for shade, too (ones that fruit in a time window where the birds aren't in it when they mature and harvest). 

Cheers!

Katherine


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## Humburger (Sep 13, 2007)

That's funny about buckwheat. Last year I planted a large patch of buckwheat and pulled crates full every day and fed them to my chickens. They loved it. I did it after it went to seed. They loved the seeds and the greens. I never noticed anything wrong with the chickens. After a few weeks of pulling it and hauling it to them, we moved the tractor right into the buckwheat patch and they pretty much consumed it all, roots and all. They were fine and they got plenty of sun.
???


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I could have sworn I posted on this thread.

Gander Mountain and some other hunting supply stores sell deer pasture mixes. I bought a cheap one and have planted it a few times. Let it grow until the crop gets about knee high and let them loose. There are several different mixes with different planting methods. The one I bought was a no-till mixture.


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## Queen Bee (Apr 7, 2004)

Wow, so strange about your turkeys.. We plant buckwheat every yr for my honeybees and the wild turkey, quail, dove -as well as the song birds stay in the patch!!!


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## AnnieinBC (Mar 23, 2007)

We fed our chickens buckwheat last summer too. They loved it and didn't exhibit any problems at all....I will go to google next and research!

Buckwheat, clover, fall rye, veggies....all kinds of options. 

Annie


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

How about really deep mulch for them during those times of the year, then pitch it out for the compost pile in the spring? Be great for the garden, the birds stay out of the mud.

Jennifer


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