Chickens don't eat much grass in the wild. Chickens fall towards the carnivore end of the omnivore spectrum. Wheat grass incidentally isn't great stuff.

I grow several different grains as sprouts. Have a blend of 4 different wheat seed that sprout in 2-3 days using a heated bench--2 tablespoons of seeds are placed into each section of a 50 count seed flat(no soil)--they are watered 3 to 4 times a day (just plain water)--they are kept covered with black plastic sheeting until they sprout--sprouts are allowed to grow for 10 days before feeding to chickens (usually 6-8 inches tall).

They love them and are full of all kinds of goodies and lots of calcium. Each pair of Seramas get 2 cubes per day and the large layers get 6-8 cubes per day. Anyone that free ranges their birds know that they eat vast quantities of grasses and all sort of vegetation. It is very good for them.

Try sprouting corn, millet (pearl, red and white). I save the seeds from all kinds of squash, pumpkins and melons and sprout them as weekly treats. Want to see your birds go crazy just grow sprouts regulary for them and use the same container each time to feed them from and watch them react to that container as you carry sprouts to them in it.

If it is new to them start with small amounts-try chopping it and adding to moistened feed ration increasing amount added each day. Once they get the taste for it they will crave it.

seramas, is there any way that I can contact you by e-mail I have several questions that would take up less time & space here on the forum. Do you have a website that has your e-mail?

thank you,

Nelda

Yes. Use link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Just Seramas

I sprout rye grass seeds on hay flakes and they love it. My chickens prefer the grasshopper but if he is not available they eat the grass.

that sounds very interesting, how do you do that? I am just trying new ways to feed my girls during the winter. I am currently feeding rolled oats alone and mixed w/their feed also cooking the rolled oats w/cracked corn and a little karo syrup. Thank You! I love the comment about grasshoppers - I ordered mealworms by the 1000 and keep them in the frig and give them for treats! they go crazy LOL

Nelda, I am glad my chickens can't read. If they knew what was on your menu they would leave me tonight. OK now I take a bale of hay that in not suitable for horses. I separate the bale into individual flakes and lay them out flat. Then sprinkle rye grass seeds heavy over the flakes. Wet them down each day until they sprout. Let them get to a good size and place the whole flake in the chicken pen. My chicken pick all the grass out first and then scratch the hay apart to get every little piece. I do about 3 or 4 flakes a week so I have a continuing supply all winter as a diet supplement. A friend of mine does the same thing but uses scraps of indoor/outdoor carpet over and over. My chickens get corn also but it's not cooked like yours. It is dried whole kernel corn that is still in the shuck. They can shuck it easier than I can. Some people have chickens as a food source. Others as pets. I think I am one of those in between. I don't pamper but I will spend time in the chicken pen just watching them. I have an 8 year old, one eyed, scarred faced buff Orpington hen that has not laid an egg in 5 years. What do you do with a one eyed old lady that is not pulling her weight? You say "Bless her heart" and keep tending her. Good luck. Hope this gives you some ideas, Mitch

islandmanmitch, LOL I'm glad your chickens can't read either!! My one and only neighbor has named my coop the HenHilton!! No more room in the coop, especially since I have 50 peeps coming in February and another 8 coming the last of February and currently have 42!! OK, I got the first part and the third part, but where do you put the flakes that is growing the grass? Do you keep it in the house/garage? the reason I ask is that right now it is raining Ice!! And of course You say "Bless her heart" and keep tending her. I had a hen wonder in from I don't know where and after isolating her and having her checked out I put her in w/the rest and "Bless her heart" she does nothing but eat and poop!! But she came to us for love and care and thats just what we will do!

Nelda, It is about 6 in the morning and 70 degrees right now with a high of 80 expected. I sprout them out in the open on the ground. Our pasture grass stops growing in winter so we plant rye grass for cold weather forage. I'm not sure how cold rye will sprout in but it gets into the low 30's here and it sprouts still. I only have 9 chickens and only two have names. The rest are just chickens. I feed my chickens very little commercial feed so my cost are low. Email me your Hilton address so I can send my retired chickens to a great rest home. Mitch

Thanks Mitch I will check the temp. in one of my out buildings and try growing it there and see what happens! About that HenHilton address - might have to wait until butchering this fall - as of now I have had to put out the "NO VACANCY" Sign!! LOL

Thanks again
Nelda

Probably 3 springs ago,I bought a bag of wheat seed(untreated).I sprout it thru the winter by soaking it the first night and rinsing it every morning.After about a week it is a lovely green and is tender.My chickens love it winter or spring.My seed is getting old and doesn't germinate as well this year so I'll have to feed it as grain soon.You have to rinse it because wheat gives off a nasty smelling gas or bacteria as it germinates and grows.I read about doing this on the internet or in a farm book.I grew it in my chicken pen when it was new and the chickens demolished it in days.There was an old thread where someone grew it in potting soil and cut it for her hens.Posy_Pet

Thanks everybody for the great information, I am going to give it a whirl and I will let you know how it goes.

Nelda