by Melissa Caughey of Tilly’s Nest
Do you garden? Why not plant some veggies that have a bigger bang for their buck this year, especially for the chickens? Chickens love fresh treats from the vegetable garden. Many times they happily eat leaves, stems and roots. They also don’t mind bug chewed leaves that normally would find their way into the composter.Typically around this time, we start our seeds off indoors in seed trays. Once the seeds have germinated and are a few weeks old, we begin to “harden them off”. On warmer sunny days, we bring the trays full of seedlings outside to the picnic table, so that they can acclimate to outside temperatures. We bring them back indoors in the evening. We do this for about a week. After a week or so, we then plant them in the garden.
Soon enough, it’s harvest time. When sharing fresh vegetables with your flock, always be sure they have access to chicken grit and fresh drinking water. Also, if you have applied any garden chemicals, be sure to give them a good washing prior to sharing. Here are seven great plants that tolerate the chilly evenings of early spring, are easy to grow and perfect for you and the flock to enjoy.
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Broccoli
Mixed salad greens grow quickly and can be harvested sooner than most vegetables. They are rich in Vitamins A, B, and also full of antioxidants. The entire plant is edible. I always plant extra and toss the entire plant, roots and all, into the chicken run.
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Kale is low in calories but packed with many vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A, K, C, B complex, iron, calcium, potassium, Vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids and folate. The entire plant is edible. Kale can grow the entire season and is simple to grow. You could even grow it in a container with mixed greens.
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This vegetable is a relative to broccoli and chickens will not only eat the flowering white portion but also enjoy dining on the leaves and stems as well. Full of potassium, Vitamins A, D, B12, B6, C, iron and magnesium, the chickens get a healthy dose of nutrients.Swiss Chard
I love growing Swiss Chard and in the Northeast, it can grow like a weed. Once in the ground, our plants produce all season long until the first hard frost in fall. Swiss chard is rich in Vitamins A, K, C, E, B12, calcium, iron, folate and fiber.Carrots
To chickens, this entire plant is edible including the leafy greens. Carrots are a great boredom buster and keep the flock busy as it takes a bit of work to eat them. Carrots of course are known for beta-carotene, but they also are a great source of vitamins A, C, B6, and potassium, Try growing heirloom varieties that come in many gorgeous shades of yellow, orange, purples and pinks. Next time for a little fun, try tossing an entire carrot plant into the run as a treat.
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192 Comments
We have a big garden this year so our chickens will get plenty of treats. Love the t shirt
Cool shirt! No wonder my chickens fight me to get into my garden!
Our chickens love most anything that we eat. There are no wasted scraps around our house. We plant extra veggies for them.
I’m the winner!!!! thank you!!!!
I like so many of them! But my favorites aren’t made in the sizes I need (children’s sizes 2 and up); I like the I hug chickens and wee peep shirts!
I like the Crazy Chicken Lady shirt
I talk to chickens’ for sure, cuz it’s true!
Wow–so many cute t-shirts and more! I certainly qualify as a “crazy chicken chick” so that might be my first choice.
I love growing my own veggies. Broccoli is so yummy. I also grow peas,yellow beans(hubby’s favorite)Tomatoes, cherry@early girls.This year I’m trying zucchini,pumpkins, onions@carrots. My plot is small, but it works. I love the T-shirts. Hope I win. Good Luck to everyone!!
My babies love the broccoli blossoms, yet REFUSE to eat the stems and leaves, and want nothing to do with carrots 🙂
They are quite spoiled, though, and get more tasty treats than I do haha!
P.S. I love those shirts.
I have an organic garden and I have a flock of chickens. Life is just wonderful!
I like the “Faster than a Speeding Pullet” shirt.
Spring Chicken in my favorite. All are very cool though.
I have 2 favorites. I think I like the Farm Fresh design the most but the I hug chickens is so close it’s a toss up!
I just looked through all the shirts and now my husband has gift ideas, thank you!
I forgot to write my favorite shirt. My favorite is probably the I hug chickens shirt, though it is so hard to choose between all the punny shirts!
Love the shirts!
I like the Men’s XXL that says Top of the mornin to ya! in a black tea with white writing.
Love this shirt! Thanks for the chance to win.
Top of the mornin to ya! shirt
Thanks for all the tips!
I absolutely LOVE chickens and hope to have some again soon. Love the T-shirt
I would love to win that shirt for my dad, every time our cock crows, my dad crows back at him…cock a doodle doo, lol.
I would love a shirt like this!
I like the mint green Rooster tee shirt that says Top of the Morning to You..Last June i got my first 6 chickens. We always put in a big garden with lettuces,swiss chard and everything that you posted above especially celery that we have been feeding our rabbits for years..My chickens loved the swiss chard and lettuces the best last year
I’d love a shirt that says “Cock-a’doodle’doo”…that’s cute! I have been feeding my chickens the chickweed that grew in my raised beds over the winter! They love it.
Certified FOWL Mouth is a blast!
We are finally getting rain (instead of snow) here in MN. This article was fun to read, make me excited to get my garden going!
I love this page….
Everything in the store is cute, but my favorite tee is
A momma and her chicks!
I can’t wait to share my garden with the chickens and my rooster Elvis.
I like the “Hello My name is…… This is soooo my daughter!
<3 the “Faster Than a Speeding Pullet” shirt
The ladies would love me sporting this shirt…
I always produce more than I can eat, so all of the extras go to the hens. Good suggestions on some greens that so far they haven’t tried. Love the shirt–it will bring a smile to everyone who sees it.
Farm Girl, Rise and Shine! Love it!
Thanks for the great ideas! I cant wait to try these out! And I couldn’t pick just one favorite shirt, I love them all! Maybe Iw ould start with the “Have you hugged your chickens today?” shirt.
I love the tshirt Farmland Security, it is way too cute! Chickens are wonderful I have had chickens as pets since I was young. Thanks for your wonderful site.
I love your Blog. I don’t own any chickens yet, but plan to one day. You have a wealth of information and I thank you for it. I hope I win the shirt.
cute shirts! I like the one that says “my pet makes me breakfast” adorable 🙂
I plant tomatoes, lettuce and pumpkins just for my chickens. Well, I plant them for the family but I plant extras just for the chickens. They just love all the greens. Oh yea, I love that t shirt, very cute.
Women’s Bamboo Tank.
I like the men’s heavyweight t shirts…So hard to find them.
Not an “early” crop, but for some reason, I think my girls’ favorite is pumpkin.
I like so many but the department of farmland security is my favorite with the chicken in place of the eagle
I like the “farm chick” with the chick wearing cowboy boots. Too cute
I would have to hide the shirt when I wasn’t wearing it so my daughter wouldn’t steal it!
Grandma’s chickens loved potato peelings!
Great shirt! I don’t own a chicken shirt yet
I like the crazy chicken lady one but if I win I will let my mom pick for mothers day
heather hgtempaddy@hotmail.com
I like the locally grown design
This is the year we finally get chickens!! Yes!!!! Love the T-shirt!!
I already own 2 CHICKEN SHIrT T shirts and I love the new crazy chicken lady design!
I have allowed my peepers to graze in my winter garden, since all the crops have already bolted. I hope I don’t regret this since I planted a few tomatoes & zucchini plants in it today! I’d love to win any of these cute T shirts.
The Fowl mouth shirt is my favorite.
The balk stops here is my favorite
I really like that shirt my Americauna Roos name is Cock-A-Doodle-Roo..
Almost a named shirt…lol
Love the shirt and the veggies too!
My chicks have always loved peas! I snap them off the vine and bring them right to the fence. They pace back and forth when they see me coming!
my chickens love cabbage
I’ve not committed to chickens YET, but we’re pushing for it. So, all the veggies will go to the family or our dear friends who are having their chicks delivered this week!
loves beets, I always have a hard time growing them for some reason!
Farm Fresh Women’s T Shirt in Medium
I would LOVE to win this t shirt!!!! gotta love a chicken!
Love the Spring Chicken shirt. My girls are great gardeners. I dig, they inspect. I plant, they “weed” and they are the first to harvest.
I like the Womens Tri-Blend Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Spring chicken or Mone Coop Runneth Over
My hens will arrive at the end of April. Can’t wait. I love the T-shirts and guess I prefer the “Don’t ruffle my feathers!”
Cute shirt! I’d wear that!
Thanks for the gardening information. Nice t shirt.
Spring Chicken is just how I feel.
I talk to chickens is my pick, cuz I do!
I need a new T-shirt!
I like Spring Chicken, Crazy Chicken Chick, and My Pet Makes Me Breakfast
The Golden Egg has some really cute T-shirts! Love having my flock– 🙂
I Love Chickens!!
Diane – an old tale says if you keep a rooster in the kichen it brings you good luck (not life of course)
I love the A momma and her chicks shirt!
I love the Tees! I’m not a spring chicken but I like the shirt (navy)anyway. LOL I also like the Crazy Chicken Chick(long sleeve) . My favorite is the green “Farm Girl At Heart” with the brown chicken.
I really miss my girls. We lost them over the years to different things and now have none. We hope to get more soon though.
There are a lot of great shirts, but “Peep Show” is absolutely my favorite! Thanks!
I love the chicken shirt!! And the information on what easy vegetables to grow is just what I need!
Great idea…thanks… love the T…
I like I talk to chickens or spring chicken.
So glad to have a place that combines my love of gardening and chickens! Can’t wait to learn more about how everything can work better together!
I can imagine the comments I’ll get from that t-shirt! Ha! I grow swiss chard just for our birds, they LOVE it!
My hens won’t eat the beet greens. They do love cabbage, though. I guess they’re all different, kind of like everything/everyone else.
Crazy Chicken Chick!
love the ‘crazy chicken chick’ tee shirt, but it’s hard to say which I really like the best, so many great designs and sayings
My chickens love chard, tomatoes and squash LOL Great shirt!
I would love this shirt! SO CUTE!
Getting my chickens soon. Love the shirt.
My chickens gathered around me yesterday watching me plant!
Love the shirt! I plan on doing mixed lettuce greens for me & my girls!
My chickens need to be fenced out of the garden but get random treats while I weed. They do get the run of the compost pile though and they truly appreciate that, an I like the work they save me having to turn it!
Would love to have my own chickens!!
We use every bit of broccoli, except for the massive root part.. Sometimes we feed little extras to the dogs. They love their broccoli.
We’re getting ready to start raising chickens for eggs and meat. Love the tee
Great info in the article. I learned quite a bit – thanks!
I like the purple Women’s Hooded Sweatshirt that says, “I Talk to Chickens”!
Silly me! Thank you Melissa for the reminders of why we grow veggies other than the challenge: Healthy Food!
my chickens are prettier than your chickens
Just noticed you said 7 veggies to grow but only show 5 🙂
Looks like I’m just going to have to grow an extra garden just for the girls lol nope they are not spoiled at all – good to know they can eat the broccoli and cauliflower leaves and such – when I thin out the seedlings, if I don’t put them in a juicer to drink I throw them in the run for the girls to enjoy
I love ALL the shirts, it is hard to pick just one favorite, but I guess it would have to be “Farm Fresh”. Enjoyed reading about growing veggies that the chickens would love to eat also.
I like the CrazyChickenChick the best; 2nd best is Chicken Love and 3rd is I Love Fuzzy Butts!
Good article. T-shirts are fabulously cute! from the bird lady in AZ
I love chickens and t-shirts!
Loved the I hug chickens shirt in pink of course! 😉
love the dept of farmland security
Top of the Morning to ya!
Would love to wear this!
I like the Spring Chicken design! I’m a 66 year old Spring Chick myself! 🙂 My husband and I are getting our first chickens this Spring and we’re very excited!
I need this shirt…I’m the crazy chicken lady around here lol
great ideas for the garden. I’m going to start planting next week! and love the “circle of life” shirt design!
I like the: That’s all yolks! shirts
I love the tee above and on the site the Spring Chicken tank, I Talk to Chickens hoodie, and Farm Chick bandana (which would be great for putting my hair up when I tend to the ‘ladies”) Would love to win this tee giveaway. Theres a lot of great stuff on the site for us chicken parents to buy. 🙂
Have you loved your chicken I think is my favorite. 🙂
love the pinwheel/chickens, very nice!
Great article. I love the “Mine Coup runnith over” shirt
“Don’t Ruffle My Feathers”
I love the Chicken Shirt!
Neat shirts!!!
Great idea, I will have to plant extras for the chickens and goats.
Too cute!
OH I just love the shirts!! I can’t wait to order some.Thanks for the link!
Good ideas
My girls love everything! Every time they see me they thing I should be bringing some treat.
Cute T-shirt
My girls love broccoli and spinach the best. Going to try kale this year and am sure they will love it too. Love the shirt!
http://goldenegg.spreadshirt.com/spring-chicken-A12157838/customize/color/145
spring chicken t
I already share a lot of these vegetables with my chickens and ducks, thank you for reminding us all how good they are, not only for us but for our favorite birds!
Our ducks also love fresh veggies!
Deena K
I like the farm chick and one hot chick designs the best
I had my hens and 2 roosters a long while back. I am in hopes to have them again soon; very soon!
I learned a new technique from a movie I recently watched with four of my grandchildren, “FLICKA 2”. That smart young lady took an umbrella out to that hen house and each time that feisty rooster took after her, she opened that umbrella giving him the “HAAA” signal!!! I giggled so hard!
Would enjoy prancing around in that T~Shirt in my new hen house.
I adore the Crazy Chicken Chick shirt, but then the Young Chick is sweet too.
Love chickens. Don’t have any now, plan to get some soon. The Tees are so cute, too.
My wife would love it. She loves her chicken’s
Love the T-shirts!!!
I love the shirts!
I wish I could understand what chickens were talking about!
Philip
What a cute shirt!
I have an entire raised bed just for growing vegetables for my chickens, ducks, and rabbits.
Love the shirts!
Nice shirt
I love them all… but I think I like the I talk to chickens one best.
Wow! What cute tee-shirts! If I am the lucky winner, I’d choose Farmland Security! My roo is a menace to visitors! Thanks for the contest!
Oh ya, I had to restart my garden twice didn’t know what was eating the seedlings! Finally caught them red-h(e)nded one day. Had to fence in the garden.
Nice shirts by-the-way.
I like spring chicken tee shirt.
Farmland Security? It’s really true — we have Great Danes and chickens, the chicks are definitely the security keepers….
Love the shirt!
graceinapril@gmail.com
Farm Fresh Eggs or The Real Henny Penny. Cute
Love all the chicken shirts! Torn between “I talk to chickens” and “Farmland Security”. Being military, that one connected with me on lots of levels!
I’m always amazed at what my chickens will and will not eat!
And love the Farm Fresh shirt!
I like the “Barnyard Security” with the pitchfork.
Looking forward to sharing our garden with our flock this year! great tips! thanks!
Love the shirt………..Have you hugged your chicken today 😉
So many shirts that made me go, “I like THIS one!” Torn between “Mine Coop Runneth Over” and “Farm Fresh”. Great site!
Chicken shi(r)t
Love the chicken pinwheel design, but the “Don’t Ruffle My Feathers” is so me!
cool idea, I will keep this in mind this summer as I have garden waste
You’d have to be cluckin’ crazy not to like the ‘Don’t Ruffle My Feathers’ design!
Love the Farm Fresh Eggs tee!
would love to win and give this to a friend’s young daughter who takes care of the familie’s chickens
What a great looking t-shirt! Would love to wear it “around town”. 🙂
I am known among my friends as The Crazy Bird Lady. I have chickens, ducks, geese and guineas and honey bees around here. The weather has been so crazy we haven’t been able to start our Spring garden. I am thinking it is time to move to raised beds to be able to have what we want and to be able to share with the flocks. I enjoyed the post today. Would love to win that shirt! 🙂
I think my girls would look funny in one of those shirts.
My flock gets fruits and veggies every day.
Love the shirt. Perfect conversation starter.
Love the saying on this shirt… I work for a poultry distributor, would be great to wear to work 😀
I like the “I talk to chickens” and “have you hugged your chickens today” shirts the best
You can’ t have too many tees
I like that shirt….
I love any chicken T-shirt. Love chickens too! Hope to plant more containers this year.
My favorite is the Top of the mornin to ya! shirt.
Our chickens love the culled tomatoes best from our garden. Would love the shirt!
These shirts are adorable.
Oooh, I love the tee shirt!
Carol
I like the Department of Farmland Security Shirt!
I like the Farm Fresh Eggs one.
I like the Spring Chicken shirts
Adorable t-shirt! Would be great to wear around town, as my neighbors think of me as the crazy chicken lady… Thanks for the gardening post, as I have broccoli,lettuce, and kale seedlings for our chicken/duck garden, but didn’t know about cauliflower & beets–looks like we need more seeds!
I don’t have chickens at this point in time, but get my “fix” by reading your blog. That is one fine lookin’ t-shirt!
cute shirt
My girls LOVE Kale, but weren’t to fond of the beet greens. I have to keep an eye on them when I let them free range, or they will make a beeline for the gardens and go for the kale.
Mine also. This year is the first summer for the girls. They were too young last summer to let free roam. I have a feeling that I am going to have to fence off the garden! They LOVE anything green! Especially this time of year!!
Would love to win the shirt, we have 5 chickens, all were suppose to be hens, but guess what, 2 turned out to be roosters, so, we had to build another pen and coop as we don’t want chicks. Our girls are laying 2 to 3 eggs a day.
As long as you pick up the eggs, you won’t have chicks. No need to keep them separate.
My friends daughter got the nickname “Rooster” because she was born in the year of the rooster. It might not be appropriate for an eight year old, but I’d wear it until she she grows up a bit.
I only count 5 vegetables….are the other 2 top secret?
That’s my question too. I have two suggestions for the missing two plants. Brussels sprouts and French sorrel. I feed all the above but the beet greens to my “girls” (they turn their noses … er … beaks up at the beet greens). But their very favorites are the Brussels sprout leaves (they will leap up for these – now that my BS plants about about 5 feet tall), and French sorrel leaves. They also LOVE dandelions and wild mustards. When I go for my walks through the neighborhood or some of the nearby hills, I’m always “weeding” other peoples yards for those treats or foraging in the hills.
Oh goodness, the rest of the post must have slipped off when I added the giveaway! Yikes! I’ll fix that and yes, all great suggestions!
I love the “2 + 2 = more ” …. that is adorable
What a fun shirt! I love the ones that say “I talk to chickens”…