"Jim A" wrote in message
...
And nettles, yes indeed. I planted one last year expecting it to
multiply and give me a bumper crop, but it hasn't much yet. I'll go find
a few more as I like nettle tea and feel rather stupid buying teabags for
it.


I could send you a few..
Nettles just love my soil and I spend hours hacking them out but I do leave
quite a few to feed the peacock, comma, and small tortoiseshell butterfly
larvae which reward me by being spectacular on my buddlieas later in the
year.
The idea that you want nettles while I spend half my life trying to get rid
of them is amazing;-)
I'm trying to get my chickens to eat nettles but they don't seem that keen.
If I throw them into their run they go "no way, we were hoping for a
dandelion.."
Tina

Christina Websell wrote:
If I throw them into their run they go "no way, we were hoping for a
dandelion.."

Hmm, I haven't tried them with nettles, but there are definitely some weeds
more than others that they like. I haven't noticed them being fond of
dandelions, though.
Mind you, the annoying things are now turning their noses up at the angelica
I planted for them last year that they used to love!
Today they were happy munching through a handful of spent sprout + broccoli
plants from the allotment. I think they enjoyed them!

wrote:
Christina Websell wrote:
If I throw them into their run they go "no way, we were hoping for a
dandelion.."

Hmm, I haven't tried them with nettles, but there are definitely some weeds
more than others that they like. I haven't noticed them being fond of
dandelions, though.

When we kept hens (1945 - 1950) I used to go gathering chickweed,
groundsel and suchlike for them. They also like garlic mustard,
shepherd's purse, the cresses, rocket (again!), charlock etc, mallow,
clover, willow herb, many umbellifers, especially hogweed, goosegrass,
hawkweeds, chenopodia of all orts, rowan berries, most other fruit too,
and in those days, we used to go out gleaning after harvest and bring
home plenty of wheat and barley for them.

Nowadays, combine harvesters have left lean pickings.

It's worth spending some time gathering wild food for hens as the eggs
are so much better. (Until I was thirteen I could eat them, but then I
developed a mild allergy to them)

The greengrocer will usually give you trimmings from cauliflowers and
stuff not saleable. When I had a smallholding I used to get loads of
that for the goats and fowl.

Mind you, the annoying things are now turning their noses up at the angelica
I planted for them last year that they used to love!

Candy the young shoots then!

Today they were happy munching through a handful of spent sprout + broccoli
plants from the allotment. I think they enjoyed them!

They will. But not if you tell them it really improves their flavour on
the table...

--
Rusty