Owning chickens is a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Not only do you get their delicious fresh eggs, but also their companionship. Not to mention chickens mean an endless supply of top-quality, organic fertilizer. They’re an excellent pest control, scratching all day long for insects and grubs in the garden. 

Chickens are easy to care for. They need a coop that has enough space for them to sleep and lay eggs, and enough space to spread out a bit. It’s important to keep them safe and keep their space clean. One of the most important aspects of their care is feeding them. 

Free-range birds spend much of the day snacking on weeds and digging for insects. Along with a high-quality chicken feed, the insects and plants they eat all contribute to a healthy diet. A healthy chicken produces healthy eggs. 

From spring through fall, there are plenty of weeds and other plants for your chickens to graze on. But, in winter, those things, as well as the insect supply, become scarce. Here are some plants you can start in the fall garden for chickens to forage over the winter. 

Oregano

This herb is easy to grow, great for beginners.

Oregano is a wonderful supplement for chickens, both as an herb and an oil. It’s evergreen and grows well in the fall garden. It has natural antifungal, antibacterial, and antiparasitic properties. Some poultry farmers use it as a natural antibiotic. It can help boost their immune systems and reduce the occurrence of several common illnesses. 

You can mix dried oregano into their feed or give it to them fresh. I like to sprinkle it in my egg boxes to freshen them up and add an extra layer of protection to my eggs. Crushing the leaves releases more of the oils, so crumble the dried leaves or crush fresh ones before offering them. 

Kale

Appreciating cool conditions, kale is perfect for fall gardens with chickens.

Kale is an excellent leafy green that you can grow during the cold months and feed to your chickens. It appreciates the cool fall garden. Your chickens will love you for it. It’s packed with nutrition, including calcium to help strengthen eggshells. It’s frost-hardy and even tastes sweeter after a frost or two. 

You can feed your chickens kale raw. Chop it up and add it to their feed, or hang it somewhere that they can reach it.

Chickens love to stay busy, so hanging fruits and veggies from a tree or in the coop is a great way to keep them occupied. Kale does contain oxalates and goitrogens, so feed it to them in moderation. 

Chard

Bright stems add a pop of color to gardens.

Chard is a nutritious, fall garden leafy green that you can feed chickens in moderation. It’s rich in vitamins A, C, and K, along with calcium, magnesium, and antioxidants.

All of these nutrients contribute to a healthy diet. Offer chard to your flock for a natural boost to their immune systems.

Chickens usually enjoy pecking at the tender leaves. You can give it to them fresh, chopped into their feed, or even hung in bunches inside the run to keep them busy. Like many other leafy greens, it not only tolerates frost, but the flavor improves with exposure to cold. 

Cabbage

These leafy vegetables are packed with nutrients.

Cabbage is one of the best leafy vegetables you can feed to chickens in fall gardens. It’s nutritious, safe, and doubles as entertainment.

This is a great one for hanging from the roof of the coop. They will enjoy stripping the layers of leaves, and pecking at the head will help cure winter boredom. 

Cabbage provides vitamins C and K, fiber, and antioxidants that support immunity and digestion. Unlike spinach or beet greens, cabbage is low in oxalates. Oxalates interfere with calcium absorption. This makes cabbage a safer treat for laying hens than most other greens. 

Turnips

Both the greens and roots are edible for chickens.

Turnips are an easy and healthy crop you can grow for chickens in the fall garden. Both the roots and tops are healthy and safe for them to eat. The leafy tops are especially nutritious, containing lots of vitamins A, C, and K, in addition to calcium and fiber. 

Your chickens will enjoy pecking at tender turnip greens. You can chop it up and toss it in the run or mix it with their feed. The roots are also a great supplement to their diet. You can give them the whole root in the same way as cabbage, as an enrichment activity, or chopped and in their feed.

Winter Squash

Feed your chickens the seeds or the flesh of these fall garden vegetables.

Winter squash is a great seasonal food for your birds. Chickens will love this fall garden delicacy as much as you do! Both the seeds and flesh are edible.

The flesh contains a lot of beta carotene, which supports healthy combs and egg yolks. It’s also a good immune booster. 

You can feed your chickens squash raw or cooked. Toss them chopped-up pieces or cut the squash in half, and let them enjoy cleaning out the skin. If your hens have a hard time breaking up the squash, feel free to bake it for half an hour to soften the flesh. Avoid adding any other ingredients like salt or butter. 

Beets

Like turnips, chickens can eat the greens and roots.

Beets are a safe and nutritious treat for chickens that you can grow in the fall garden. You can feed them both the roots and the greens, just like turnips.

The roots provide natural sugars, fiber, and minerals like manganese and potassium. The leafy tops contain plenty of vitamins A, C, and, along with calcium and iron. 

Beets contain pigments called betalains and carotenoids. Many chicken owners find that feeding their birds beets will keep their egg yolks dark and extra rich.

You can feed beets raw, grated, chopped into small pieces, or cooked and cooled to soften them. The greens are a little high in oxalates, so give them in moderation rather than as a daily staple. 

Crimson Clover

This cover crop comes with several benefits in fall gardens.

Crimson clover is safe and very useful for chickens when offered correctly. It’s a cool-season annual legume often grown as a cover crop, and it grows well in the fall garden.

It serves two roles in the chicken yard and your garden. It’s both a nutritious forage and a nitrogen fixer that improves soil. The leaves, stems, and flowers are all edible, and chickens enjoy grazing on them. 

Clover is high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, making it a valuable supplement to your chickens’ diet. It has a dense growth pattern, so you can sow it in chicken runs or use it as a cover crop and allow them to graze. Too much can cause stomach upset, but if they are allowed to graze freely, they will self-regulate. It can also be invasive in certain regions.

Alfalfa

The crop is especially useful in the cooler months when other fresh food sources are scarce.

Alfalfa is one of the most widely used supplements for chickens. It’s especially useful in the cooler months when other fresh food sources are scarce. It’s rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals like calcium and magnesium.

Because of this, alfalfa is often included in commercial layer feeds. It helps with strong eggshells, dark orange yolks, and overall health.

Alfalfa does well in the fall garden as long as you plant it at the right time. Plant this one six to eight weeks before your first expected frost date. The tender fall growth is great for grazing on. It’s also an excellent cover crop and improves the soil quality for next year’s crops. 

Parsley

Feed fresh parsley or save some for yourself in the kitchen.

You can grow parsley in the fall garden, and it’s an excellent herb to feed to chickens. It’s safe, nutritious, and has known health benefits.

It’s packed with vitamins A, C, and K, along with iron, calcium, and antioxidants. These nutrients support strong immune systems, healthy feather growth, and good egg quality. 

Parsley is also known for aiding digestion and giving a boost to circulation and respiratory health. For this reason, many poultry keepers consider it more than just a treat.

You can feed fresh parsley. Directly toss in sprigs, chop leaves into their feed, or hang bunches in the run for enrichment. Chickens will usually peck at both the leaves and stems. Flat-leaf and curly parsley are both fine. 

Ryegrass

Chickens love to graze on this grass.

Ryegrass is a great forage option for chickens in the fall, especially as part of a pasture or run mix. It’s a fast-growing, cool-season grass that provides tasty blades rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein. Chickens love to graze on it, and it helps mimic their natural foraging behavior. 

Ryegrass improves soil structure, reduces erosion, and grows quickly. It works well in rotation with clover or other legumes for both your birds and the garden. While mature, tough stems may be difficult for them to digest, but your chicken will devour young, tender blades.