12 Weeds That Can Feed Your Chickens For Free!

Hey There YouTube weeds they're everywhere in our Lawns and our Gardens Even in our driveways and each year billions of dollars are spent trying to get rid of them when it comes to weeds you have two options love them or curse them today we'll give you a reason to love them packed with nutrition and boasting an almost endless supply many common weeds make fantastic food for chickens so buckle in and get ready we've got a list of 12 weeds that chickens adore and it's coming your way right after this short intro just enough time to click those like And subscribe buttons thank you howdy everyone we're the hobby Farm guys I'm Steve a fine looking gentleman next to me is Brian and the real looker Eric is doing what Eric does best telling us that we're doing it wrong from from his perch behind the camera yeah over the past year or so we've done a few videos covering topics related to feeding chickens for example we talked about easy to grow Garden crops that chickens love how to create an ideal chicken pasture and discuss herbs that benefit chickens we'll link those videos in the description so you can easily find them in case you missed them the first time around but today we want to talk about weeds and how they fit into a chicken diet well the wheat is technically any plant growing where it's not wanted many of us have a particular Nemesis in mind when we hear the term weed we did the ultimate survivors they spread easily they're hard to kill and they'll grow where nothing else will which makes it easy to hate and curse them it's also a good reason to love them many weeds are packed with nutrients and high-end protein and other elements that chickens need and since they grow anywhere spread easily and are almost impossible to kill well that makes for pretty good chicken food before we get to the list a couple of disclaimers some weeds are invasive particularly in certain areas or climates and they shouldn't be intentionally sewn as they can quickly get out of hand and create problems also weeds like all things are best in moderation some have high levels of nutrients or compounds that will safe in normal doses they can lead to issues of consumed in large quantity moderation and variety are going to be key when feeding weeds luckily there's a large variety of weeds to choose from now let's start our list with a weed Superstar purslane often referred to as a little hogweed fatweed or pusley it has about a bajillion other names as well but it's fairly easy to identify and Grows All Around the Globe a summer annual purslane Trails across the ground with its succulent leaves spreading out like spokes on a wheel its characteristic features are small succulent leaves which are green on top and pale purple underneath going from a bright red stem in summer purcellane produces a constant supply of tiny yellow or pink flowers which lasts 24 hours and then go to seed producing seeds every 24 hours a single plant will produce some 240 000 seeds each season these seeds are viable in the soil for up to 40 years see why purslane is so common and as a bonus the plant excels in poor soil and can withstand drought so it works well in sunny hot climates purslane is an excellent source of vitamin A it's also a rich source of vitamin C and some B complex vitamins such as riboflavin niacin paradoxine and keratinoids it also boasts a supply of minerals such as iron magnesium calcium potassium and manganese purslane leaves also contain more omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable plant many people eat personally for these reasons themselves and chickens well they love it as well next up is a weed that's in the same family as amaranth and spinach lamb's quarter here again lots of alternate names for this weed pigweed white goose foot dungweed and wild spinach are all common another one of its common names Fat Hen comes from its supposed ability to fatten chickens that's awesome in my place we have our own name for it we call it records right you get the idea like purslane this weed is also edible in fact in many parts of the world it's cultivated as a food crop found all over the world the plant grows in nearly any soil and is considered a pioneer species in other words it will prepare the soil for even better and more suitable plants to follow lamb's quarter like full sun but will grow in partial sun it has alternate triangle the diamond shaped leaves that are coarsely toothed or shallowly loafed many people liken the shape to the web foot of a goose the plants can get tall up to eight feet and the flowers in Sea seeds are tiny and in case you're wondering the seeds stay viable for 30 to 40 years lamb's quarter is a nutrient accumulator the plant boasts a deep root system and is able to mine important nutrients and bring them up to the plant from deep in the subsoil iron fiber protein and vitamins A and C lamb's quarter is also high in manganese calcium copper magnesium potassium and both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids these fatty acids will result in deep orange yolks in the eggs of chickens eating them number three on our list is another well-known and widely distributed weed plantain also known as whey bread or white man's footprint the plant is native to Eurasian was brought to the Americas by Puritan colonizers the common name white men's footprint was coined by Native American peoples who noted the plant thrived in the Disturbed and damaged ecosystems surrounding European settlements and Thrive it does especially Disturbed soils one of the first plants to begin growing in Spring this perennial is another plant that can be eaten by humans and is also frequently used medicinally as a herbal treatment it's thick hairless somewhat oval leaves grow from a long fibrous Taproot flaring out in a basil rosette along the ground 6 to 18 inch flour stocks are tipped with spikes of tiny greenish white flowers chickens love plantain it contains several flavonoids beta-carotene fiber fat protein and carbohydrates as well as vitamins a B1 B2 B3 C and K add to that the fact the plant also is a good source of calcium chromium iron magnesium manganese phosphorus potassium selenium and zinc and it's no wonder this weed makes the list as a chicken superfood right next up nettle most of us are familiar with Nettles and most of us have experienced their painful sting at some point in our lives it's another hearty perennial that Grows All Around the World appearing early in the spring it grows more or less anywhere though it prefers a rich moist soil with plenty of nutrients nettle square bristly stem grows from two to seven feet tall and bears deeply serrated pointed leaves that are Downy underneath bristly hairs on the stem and leaves act like a hypodermic needle injecting an irritant Under the Skin when touched wear long sleeves long pants and gloves when Gathering or handling fresh Nettles that's right it's a mistake you'll only make once technically chickens can consume raw nettles without harm but it's recommended to harvest Nettles and allow them to will before feeding them to the chickens air wilting or steaming them or boiling in plenty of water for a few minutes will neutralize the steam another weed that's popular with humans as well as chickens stinging nettles are a source of chromium Cobalt phosphorus potassium zinc copper and sulfur along with vitamins a c d k and B complex and several scientific studies indicate that due to their Luton and zeaxanthin content feeding Nettles to hens makes their egg yolks a rich yellow next up dandelions well I think everybody on the planet is pretty familiar with this one it does have some other names like wild Endive monk's head canker wart and Lion's tooth a hearty perennial dandelion originated in Eurasia but European settlers brought dandelion to the Americas during the mid-1600s where they cultivated in their Gardens for food and medicine today it grows wild in all parts of the northern hemisphere dandelions long deeply toothed green leaves grow up in a rosette from the plant's fleshy Tap Root which in the spring sends up one or more naked flower stems each terminating in a single yellow flower the flower sets seed and becomes the famous puffball in case you're wondering seeds disperse from a dandelion seed head puffball can be carried up to five miles from their place of origin dandelions are an excellent source of vitamins a c and k they also contain vitamin E folate and small amounts of other B vitamins as well as substantial amounts of several minerals including iron calcium magnesium and potassium several Chicken Keepers also attest to the fact that those wonderful yellow blooms also result in wonderful dark yolks with dandelions and all the weeds we're mentioning today make sure that you're feeding your chickens weeds that haven't been sprayed or treated with herbicides we've reached the halfway point and to celebrate let's look at a hearty annual native to Europe which is spread across the globe chickweed also known as chicken wart Star War Stitch wart tongues grass and adder's mouth chickweed tolerates low temperatures often blooming year round where temperatures don't get below 15 degrees Fahrenheit chickweed is a mat forming plant growing up to 12 inches tall with oval to heart-shaped light green half inch to one inch leaves very stems and Tiny star-shaped white flowers it prefers Shady moist locations and Rich neutral soil it's also not called chickweed for nothing right chickens love the sweet and it's good for them chickweed is particularly high in minerals especially potassium it's also high in vitamins a b complex c and d and is also known to have high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids it contains six times the amount of vitamin C 12 times more calcium and 83 times more iron than spinach it also contains oxalic acid which can interfere with calcium absorption so sometimes you'll actually see chickweed on do not feed to chicken lists well chickweed does contain oxalic acid the way it works is it only prevents calcium absorption from plants which themselves contain the oxalic acid so your hand won't be able to take advantage of the calcium and chicken tweet so if your flock is eating nothing but cheek weight you're going to have a problem but if they're only getting a balanced diet and have calcium from another source like say oyster shell you have nothing to worry about again aim for variety in moderation from chickweed we move to duckweed considered the smallest of plants the many varieties of duckweed float on the water's surface drawing nutrients from the water through its few tiny dangling Roots the plants reproduce via plant division when conditions are ripe the population can double in as little as 24 hours yeah that's impressive as you may already be guessing duckweed is considered invasive in many warm regions due to its ability to reproduce so rapidly but duckweed can easily be grown in managed systems from a hand-dug pond to a barrel add some nutrients to the water whether that's fish or simply adding some manure or compost tea it needs dappled sun in areas of intense light and shelter from strong winds an air stone or mechanical aeration often increases growth in plant division iron nutrients it also hits protein levels of 30 to 50 percent you can also dry duckweed and store it for later use like hay if duckweed doesn't work you can also try a Zola which is very similar to duckweed but will sometimes grow where duckweed won't sweet bonus weed number eight on our list is hen bit guess where that name comes from right the member of the mint family is absolutely adored by chickens and bit can sometimes be confused with purple dead nettle which is also edible and useful to chickens the difference in the two can be seen in the leaves henbet has heart-shaped leaves with big scalloped edges that grow along the entire length of the stem the purple dead nettle has more triangular shaped leaves that grow in big clumps but both make Fine chicken food growing from 3 to 18 inches tall head bit tolerates most conditions and this winter annual can be found over most of the world headbit is high in iron magnesium manganese calcium and vitamins Ace K as well as a whole host of beneficial antioxidants and phytochemicals next up Clover well clover is a fantastic plant with many uses we included it in our weed list because when it shows up in the lawn that's often how it's viewed and treated Clover is a highly nutritious cool weather perennial plant in the legume family there are several varieties of clover including red white and purple they all have similar nutritional value Clover is high in vitamins A and B complex with Trace Amounts of vitamins E and K it's also a good source of calcium potassium and iron palatable for chickens and other livestock Clover is also high in protein Clover is another weed that sometimes pops up on the do not feed the chickens list the reason why is clover contains a chemical named kumarin right boomeran is basically an anticoagulant it helps prevent blood from clotting that's why Clover is used medicinally in various concoctions Sweet Clover has high levels of coumarin that's the sweet vanilla scent you catch When you crush Sweet Clover and coumarin in and of itself isn't an issue the problem comes when fungi and molds are present in these circumstances certain fungi can change the coumarin into a toxin that causes internal hemorrhaging and can rapidly lead to death in chickens and other livestock this issue normally presents in clover hay or silage that's gone moldy eating fresh Clover is generally considered to be safe number 10 on the list is a weed that looks like clover but isn't box Alice Oxalis has several common names such as yellow wood sorrel sour grass Shamrock and sheep's Clover the leaves have a Telltale Heart shape with deep fold down the middle and it produces Yellow Cup like flowers with five Petals For mid-spring through fall while it's high in many vitamins minerals and antioxidants it's also high in oxalic acid hence the name Oxalis oxalic acid isn't a problem in small amounts but too much oxalic acid starts to do interesting things the body including blocking calcium absorption this is a weed best fed in moderation next is a perennial commonly referred to as South thistle other names it goes by includes corn South thistle filled milk thistle gut weed and dindle bound throughout temperate regions South thistle is a bitter herb that chickens love to eat and which is commonly confused with its plant cousin dandelion the leaves are often wavy or lobed prickly and reach Dimensions ranging between 3 to 13 inches in length and between one to five inches in width besides the prickly leaves South thistle also has flowers that are easy to identify similar to dandelion flowers South thistle flowers are small and yellow reaching a tiny size of less than one inch an easy way to distinguish South thistle from dandelion is just to compare the flowers dandelions have only one flour per stock whereas South thistle has multiple small flowers per stock once done flowering the yellow flower petals will be replaced with the white puffy seeds that will float away in the wind just like in the debut line as a single plant can produce 200 000 seeds this is another weed that is considered invasive in many areas but the weed can be good source of vitamins A and C and the leaves also contain traces of thiamin riboflavin calcium phosphorus and niacin another plant containing oxalic acid this is a weed to be enjoyed by the chickens in moderation well hey everyone it's Brian here and if you've been paying close attention you know that we promised you 12 different weeds that are good for your chickens but we only delivered 11. turns out when we were recording we completely skipped over this next one the good news for us is we caught it during editing the bad news is Steve's out of town so I'm stuck doing this by myself at any rate weed number 12 is called Harry bitter Crest and it typically appears in early spring it grows in a compact rosette form with stems radiating out from the center the leaves are shaped like kidney beans and grow in pears on opposite sides of the stem often foraged and eaten by humans as well it has a mild radish-like flavor it's adapted to moist Disturbed soils so it often emerges wherever we irrigate a common lawn weed it also pops up in a lot of greenhouses around containers the tender leaves have tons of vitamin C calcium magnesium beta-carotene and are loaded with antioxidants so that's weed number 12 Harry bittercrest thanks well there's our list of 12 we do can feed your chickens if you have some land there's a very high chance you have a few of these going in your place already if allowed to free-range chickens will seek them out even if you can't free range your birds you can still get the benefits of feeding weeds just pull the weeds and toss them into the chickens yeah even if you don't have land you can gather weeds from Neighbors ditch Banks parks and forests just be careful as you don't want to bring back toxins or herbicides so best to collect from a source you know and are certain is safe by including weeds in your chicken's diet you can increase not only the variety of food they get to enjoy but also provide access to a host of vitamins nutrients and minerals they need to stay healthy not to mention it saves you money on your feed Bill Smart all around another Smart Choice subscribing to the channel it's free and subscribing makes it more likely you'll see our videos recommended when they drop so that you won't miss out on any more awesome money saving Health boosting tips for your chickens like you got today if we earned it we'd love a thumbs up for the video remember to check out the other related videos Linked In the description and until next time keep on how we farming foreign

Channel: Hobby Farm Guys

Views: 60,577

Keywords: hobby farm, hobby, farm, homestead, chicken, feed, flock, food, weeds, poultry, beginner

Id: wSgyv-Km7yQ

Length: 18min 53sec (1133 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 20 2023