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Introduction
Though poultry will eat many different types of "greens" on pasture, there are definitely preferable forages that are most preferred by the birds, and seem to have more pronounced effects than others. Joel Salatin, one of the pioneers in intensive pastured poultry production, suggests that a mixture of legumes and grasses are best for the birds.
I have raised chickens and turkeys on both legume-rich and grass-rich pasture mixes. Through a few years of experience, I have found a few pasture species which I prefer. Since these will vary widely in different areas, I'll simply suggest some of the good characteristics that should be considered when choosing pasture for poultry.
Chickens seem to prefer large-leaved, tender plants as they are easier for the birds to consume. Finer grasses, for example, are not as easy for the birds to pull or tear off before eating. The infamous and abundant dandelion was a real delicacy for my chickens. They loved to tear the tender, broad leaves from those weeds. (It is quite fulfilling to watch the birds feast on such a troublesome weed. The dandelions didn't die after the chickens tore them off at ground-level. In fact, the chickens fertilized them, but the plants grew back very leafy, and free of blooms. This meant for a second trip for the pens over the dandelion patch.) Chickens will consume grasses when they are young and tender, but most mature varieties are just not suited for poultry pasture. I have heard that buckwheat is a good pasture crop for poultry due to its tremendous growth rate and tenderness. (Don't plant it too close to your garden - it like dandelions can become a pest, especially in loose soil.
Turkeys show a more efficient and aggressive pasturing nature (even the broad-breasted large whites). They enjoy, and grow very well on, bromegrass pasture, if it is under a few inches in height. Bromegrass is a relatively broad-leafed grass which, in Alberta at least, is found most commonly in ditches along roadsides. It is not as commonly used for cattle as it may not survive their treading as well as finer grasses. By the time brome begins to form seed heads, it is usually too tall for the birds to effectively pluck it from the ground any more. As with most pasture plants, it is best served young.
Geese, I have read, are great for weeding strawberry patches because they prefer the weeds that are around the strawberries, to the fruit-bearing plants themselves. Geese have the digestive ability to thrive on diets which are pasture-based rather than grain-based. This means that when pasture is suitable and abundant, feed costs asoociated with these waterfowl may be very low.
One of the benefits of pasturing which is not related to the plants which are consumed, are the insects that the birds pick up from the ground. From worms to beetles and the occasional fly, there is a certain part of the diet which is made up of more protein-rich constituents. There is no way to control what insects the birds consume, but it is good to be aware of this factor.
When choosing an area for pasturing poultry, it is best to find a level area. Pulling mobile pens, or chicken tractors, up and down hills and inclines makes for too much labour and trouble. Also, consider the location of feed storage and water with respect to choosing a pasture.
As is the case with all forms of pasturing and resource management, we must be careful to not overuse the resource, in this case the pasture plant life. If intensive pasturing continues for too long (sometimes as little as two days), the result may be over-pasturing which unnecessarily stunts plant growth. The birds should have time to eat a lot of the plants, but when left too long, they will surely kill just about any plant species. Therefore, it is important to monitor the destructive forces of the birds, to ensure that the pasture may be used again.
Rotational grazing is a good system of making the most of an area of pasture. When the proper intervals for pasturing and regrowth are reached, the pasture may become very healthy and lush. If the timing of these stages is not optimal, regrowth rates will drop, and the pasture will become unhealthy. Only experimentation will reveal just how long the pasture can handle the chickens for each pasturing interval, and how much rest it needs for adequate regrowth.
It is recommended that if possible, a poultry pasture be given a few years off between uses. For example, you might use one part of a field one year, intensively, but it will have become polluted to some extent by the excretions of the birds. It is best to let the pasture recover, and to give time for any disease-causing organisms on the pasture to die.
Conclusion
With little study done on the effects of the various plant species on growth rates of pastured poultry, it is difficult to recommend one species or another for poultry forage. It is the challenge of all pastured poultry producers to experiment and attempt to find the best species mixtures for poultry.
