permaculture

[Scott Pittman <pci@permaculture-inst.org>]

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