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permaculture - chicken forage

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Scott Pittman <pci@permaculture-inst.org>
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: chicken forage
  • Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2000 17:30:24 -0600

At 12:45 PM 8/2/00 -0400, you wrote:
I think this copyright stuff has gone on long enough. I am a person doing
"permaculture" no matter what is said for, against, or about it. I need no
imprimatur, authority, or approval. "permaculture" existed before the word
was coined. I would like to discuss what others are doing, not what others
are saying.
--
Here you go -

This spring I started working on establishment of  a chicken forage system - an alternative to chicken tractors, that we also use. Our layers have a strong temper and do not want to be in a tractor, so this was an attempt to grow enough forage on a large enough area to satisfy needs of 15 hens and turkey-guinea tribe. Our meat chickens are still in a tractor, working different areas.
One of the imperatives for my forage forest was to combine it with a food forest and many herbs, that I use for teas and medicine.

I am in the high desert, zone 2, near a river, flood irrigation.

Here is my plant list:
Ground covers:
White Dutch Clover
Red Strawberry Clover
Grass ( existing)
Hairy vetch
Strawberries
Bulbs - day lilies, irises, etc
Radishes, other brassicas (hopefully will reseed)



Herbs
Bergamot
Nettles
Yarrow
Comfrey
Rhubarb
Clary sage


Shrubs
Plums
Siberian Pea
Raspberries
Gooseberries
Saskatoon (Service berry)
Sea buck thorn
Sand cherry

Trees
Apples
Peaches
Pear
Black locust (existing 50' overstory)
Mulberry

The area is about 1/2 acre, shaded and protected from the elements.
For ground cover I also used  lettuce, that germinated and grew better that it ever grows in the garden. A friend's idea was that in a desert survival is more important that space, so plants like being grown close together until established, and than can be thinned. Chicory did not germinate at all, neither did quinoa. Lettuce is gone by now, but clover is looking great.
Chickens started grazing it with much gusto since mid June, without a visible impact, as they are not confined.

I am interested to know what other people use for poultry forage. I would like to reduce commercial food use as much as possible.

thanks

Arina




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