Chickens are amazing, hungry Omnivores.
Adding forage crops to your chicken run is a great way to supplement your chicken’s diets.
Healthy Birds, Healthy Eggs, Healthy People, Healthy Planet
As soon as chickens are given the chance to free-range and forage for some of their food you will notice a difference in their eggs. When a chicken is getting the proper nutrition the egg shell will thicken, the yolk will darken and the flavor will be out of this world! Healthy Chickens, like healthy humans, need variety in their diets.
Don’t forget the added benefit of the money you will save not having to buy feed!
Plants for Chickens
Plants have so many different uses!
Keep in mind, please, that while I am recommending these plants for their chicken-friendly attributes, each plants has many other strengths and uses.
Mullein for instance is an amazing medicinal herb which is famous for its Lung healing capabilities, makes a great tea, has beautiful flowers, is reportedly an excellent emergency toilet paper and is beloved by chickens. Comfrey can be used to make a wonderful compost tea for your garden…Sunflowers not only produce seeds that the chickens will enjoy, they are beautiful, provide shade, can be used as a privacy wall, attract pollinators, their tap roots loosen compacted soil, and on and on and on and on and on…forever….
Stack the functions! Be creative and familiarize yourself with your tool kit! (plants).
Ground Covers
- Clover
- Dandelions
- Grass
- Chickweed
- Mint
- Oregano
- Thyme
Lower Level Plants
- Comfrey
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Fennel
- Wormwood
- Nettles
- Lavender
- Parsley
- Greens
- Asparagus
- Amaranth
- Brassicas
- Carrot Greens
- Alliums
- Rhubarb
- Grass
- Clover
Mid-Story Plants
- Sunflower
- Corn
- Blueberries
- Currants
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
Vining Plants
- Nasturtium
- Peas
- Beans
- Mouse Melon
- Honeysuckle
- Squash
- Watermelon
- Cucumbers
- Grapes
- Hops
Trees/ Canopy
- Most fruit trees
- Mulberries
- Siberian Pea Shrub
One thought on “Companion Planting for Chickens”