Saturday was a beautiful day, so I thought I’d spend some extra time outside. The yard looks like a chicken’s idea of paradise, with weeds popping up all over. Because our chickens live in an enclosure and are not free range, I decided to gather some of their favorites.

Dandelion greens and flower heads are quickly gobbled up, so I carefully pulled some and tossed them in my bucket. Most people detest dandelions growing in their lawns, but I’m always careful to leave the root. This allows them to continue to grow and spread.

Next up was clover. It grows in abundance in certain parts of the yard, and I was able to add quite a bit to my growing collection of weeds. I looked for plantains, but it must be too early for those. The few I did find were too small to harvest.

The last thing I gathered was the favorite—chickweed. Sometimes I think there is more chickweed in the yard than grass. It grows thick and lush, spreading out like a blanket. It also replenishes itself quickly, so there’s no need to be careful. I yanked up giant handfuls and threw them in my bucket.

When I was finished, I had two large buckets full of weeds for the hens and ducks. I thought they’d be happy to see me!

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