Foraging Chicken Food

       I make a special effort to forage some chicken food just because I like to see how happy it makes them in the middle of winter.  I also like to think that a varied diet makes them healthier.  In late December and on, I’ll start feeding them a handful a day of something foraged and stored up just for them.  I’ll dry pig weed and clover all summer long in small bunches.  It helps keep my egg yolks a deep orange in the middle of winter.

       A couple of days ago I walked our recreational trail (a beautiful walk!) with a 5 gallon bucket looking for berries for the chickens.  I found: (excuse my fuzzy pics!)



…and I found some winterberries. These aren’t the flavor winterberry, but that is what they are called here. Chickens love them.  (as do wild birds) They also make a beautiful dried berry for holiday arrangements. That’s another post





And the Virginia Creeper had berries. I DID NOT collect these!!  Can we say poisonous?  (you knew that — right Mama Pea & Erin?) They look just like wild grapes, and in fact grow right in with wild grapes!  The only way to really identify them especially after the leaves drop, is the red stem.  Grapes do not have a red stem.  If someone offers you some wild grape jelly….ask them if they know  what virginia creeper berries look like.  If they don’t…I wouldn’t eat it.


     Any berries I collect will be air dried in the garage and then just stored in a bucket.  Highbush cranberries, winterberry, wild grapes, & rose hips, will all be dried for their winter buffet.  A good field guide for your area is really needed if you decide to go foraging…..but you should do it just to see the happy chickens!

…..dr momi

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