New chicken treat.

Skinny rooster · Post by **Skinny rooster** » Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:31 am

This year I successfully grew swisschard, usually the deer mow it down, I didn't really like it and soon found that I couldn't give it away. I grew suspicious when even my Asian friends screwed up their faces and said "no thanks, we eat many different foods... but not that"! Even the rabbits nibbled it the first time but after that they would look at me as if to say "you expect me to eat that"? My young doe would do her frustrated Snoopy dance and I knew she was thinking, "noooo I want corn leaves, not this crap"! I made an interesting discovery, the chickens love love love swiss chard. Now I throw it in and everyone piles onto it an it's stripped to the stem in seconds! I imagine that it is probably good for them as well.

And yes..... I walked over to the garden and brought my bunnies their corn leaves.

JimW · Post by **JimW** » Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:52 am

I hear ya. A co-worker gave me some last year at the end of the season, my chickens loved it. I grew some of the rainbow variety this year, looks pretty, ate it once, not a fan, so it will all be going to the chickens. I do not not have a lot as wild rabbits ate a bunch of it when it was 2-3 inches tall, but once it grew a bit taller, nobody has been touching it in the garden.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:59 pm

Swiss Chard is great in spanakopita, but it's about the only way I'll eat the stuff.

Glad the chickens aren't letting it go to waste

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Sun Sep 25, 2016 11:08 pm

The leaves are gross, husband likes them, but he can only eat so much. The stem parts make a tasty sweet pickle. I plant it JUST for the chickens, and the pigs love it as well. Mine grew almost waist high this year even with regular picking, and I think I might actually freezer some just for the birds!

TomK · Post by **TomK** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:41 am

Well, the chickens certainly like the chard. Always grow it here. They get the bulk of the garden bounty. WWw, I'm with Hubby on this one...leaves and young stems and all in moderation. MJ loves the stuff. I never knew abiut chard til i met her, kohlrabi either. i like them both but in limited quantities. And the five colour variety is awesome. It grows great and easily. The only thing with chard is that you really have to wash it...the curl and ridges in the leaves hold grit easily. Nothing worse than chomping on sand when savouring fresh greens.

Post by **WLLady** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:52 am

hm....guess i'm part chicken? I LOVE swiss chard-cooked up like spinach (leaves), dice and throw into soups, quiche, stews, spaghetti sauce.....i detest the stuff raw though. I didn't grow any this year....ran out of room in the garden lol. my chickens like the leaves...the stems not so much.
Harvested the leeks yesterday and the chickens really didn't like the old leaf tops...mostly just ran around with them and chased each other LOL

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 10:47 am

I grow it for chickens, never did before until somebody mentioned it on PSO, the multicolor stems look great in the garden and when I look for something to throw in the soup or stir fry it's always there with the center leaves fresh and crunchy long after spinach has bit the dust.