clucker tucker

7 SEPTEMBER, 2017

Instead of constantly buying commercial grain for my chooks I wanted to plant some greens they can forage on. Green Harvest have a delightful seed mix which they describe as a hardy collection of leafy greens specifically designed for chickens. It includes bok choy, buckwheat, chicory, clover, linseed, lucern, silverbeet and sunflower.

I also planted comfrey root cuttings I bought from the same company - chooks favourite food - and my compost loves it too. Comfrey leaves are 15 - 30% protein and the whole plant is an excellent soil conditioner while the large roots act to break up compacted soils. It's also an excellent weed barrier and the flowers are loved by bees. Best of all, it can be propagated easily from 3cm long root cuttings planted horizontally 3cm deep and kept moist until the first leaves appear.

Sprouting Clutter Tucker seed mix at the end of winter

Top knot pigeons were enjoying the seed mix a little too much, so I used a technique I borrowed from the Bali rice fields... instead of a scarecrow.

After 2 weeks

The grass makes pretty good chook feed too - in fact, they need it for better health and improved egg quality.