The chickens love dandelions. Since today is the last day they’ll be with me, I decided to pick them a whole jar full of dandelions but I chose a jar that was too big to fill. There were plenty of dandelions to pick but my back was screaming after I’d picked 400 of them.
Usually when I go out, I pick about 60 dandelions and there’s much fluttering and squawking because the more timid chickens never get as many as the more aggressive chickens get. 400 kept them busy for a while.
But, as always, the grass is always greener. Actually, there’s no grass where the run is now but as soon as the door was opened, they were chomping on the weeds around the edges.
All those dandelions and I didn’t even make a dent. This has been a good year for weeds it seems.
I’m so going to miss the peace and quiet of the woods behind the house.
Leah says
Wow! You were busy picking 400 dandelions! That’s so many.
Jennifer says
What a nice treat for your chickens before they headed to their new home!
Barbara says
I read recently that dandelions were one of the few nutritous foods available to people pre-refrigeration days. Toward the end of winter, their larders were empty, there were no fresh fruits or vegetables, and they were limited to a few pickled meats and whatever else they had preserved from their harvests. The dandelions were loaded with nutrition and they were the first things to grow in the spring. People actually cultivated them and the dandelions probably saved them from malnutrition and starvation. Makes you want to give those little weeds more respect, doesn’t it?
Shirley Albertson Owens (sao) says
Love that you picked dandelions for your chickens……..:)
sao in Midlothian, VA
carol c says
but the coop stayed? ahhh sad but going forward Judy. You will miss the deer as well. But maybe you will have some where you are going. I know this all hurts
Emma says
Dandelions aren’t bad! They’re one of the easiest ways to help honeybees in your area. Part of the reason honeybees have been having trouble (besides the disease) is that peoples’ yards no longer contain plants natural to the area (aka weeds) for them to pollinate, and a lot of the plants we introduce aren’t as bee-friendly or bee-preferred. So don’t worry about those dandelions – you’re doing your local farmers a favor by having all of them! Besides, bright yellow flowers are so friendly and cheery. 🙂