Tuesday, October 07, 2014

"Grow Through" for Chickens and other Poultry

 photo growthrough_zpsda538260.jpg
This is a recycled pallet that we removed boards from to create a frame for the recycled chicken wire to go on. Two of us pulled the wire tight so it will support the weight of the birds.

Most of my poultry is free ranged, but some of the more expensive birds are in pens to give them more protection from predators. There are certain birds I can't afford to lose. Some, like the peafowl, would pose a problem with neighbors with their wide range. Because they wear down their pens so fast, I build frames and put poultry wire or hardware cloth over them. Then, I plant seeds under. The grass "grows through," and the birds can eat it without pulling out all of the roots. This allows them to get fresh greens daily for a long time. When it looks sparse, I add more seed. I just planted this one with winter rye in my peafowl pen. I am growing a tray of oats and will stick that under it soon.