Poultry Forage Mix

Poultry Forage Mix is a thoughtfully blended forage seed combination designed to transform your poultry pasture into a nutritious, dynamic feeding ground. By interweaving legumes, grains, and broadleaf forages, this mix delivers a season-long supply of protein, vitamins, minerals, and natural fiber—perfect for chickens, ducks, geese, and other free-range birds.

Seed Composition & Roles

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense): A deep-rooted legume that fixes nitrogen and produces lush, palatable shoots high in protein and digestible fiber.

Common Flax (Linum usitatissimum): Offers omega-3 fatty acids and mucilaginous seed pods that support digestive health and enrich egg yolk color.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa): The “queen of forages,” providing abundant leafy growth loaded with calcium, vitamins A and K, and trace minerals critical for bone strength and eggshell quality.

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum): A rapid-germinating broadleaf that chokes out weeds, attracts pollinators, and supplies nectar while creating tender greens for pecking.

Strawberry Clover (Trifolium fragiferum): A creeping clover that spreads to fill gaps, providing durable groundcover and gentle forage where heavier birds roam.

Forage Peas (Pisum sativum): Vine-forming peas that climb, flower, and set edible pods, adding protein-rich shoots and treats for inquisitive birds.

White Clover (Trifolium repens): Low-growing and hardy, it fills in bare spots and offers continuous fresh forage and nitrogen enrichment.

Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum): A striking, quick-establishing annual that blooms early and fixes nitrogen, jump-starting soil fertility for the season.

Key Benefits

Enhanced Nutrition & Egg Quality: The varied forage profile boosts lay rates, yolk pigmentation, and shell strength, reducing reliance on supplemental feed.

Natural Foraging Behavior: Encourages pecking, scratching, and dust-bathing among birds, improving welfare and reducing stress.

Soil Health & Weed Suppression: Nitrogen-fixing clovers and fast-growing buckwheat crowd out weeds, build organic matter, and stabilize soil against erosion.

Pollinator & Ecosystem Support: Buckwheat and clover blooms draw bees and beneficial insects, fostering a balanced pasture ecosystem.

Planting & Management

Seeding Rate: 20–30 lb per acre broadcast, or 8–12 lb per acre drilled; adjust based on existing vegetation and forage goals.

Best Planting Times: Early spring or late summer when soil temperatures are above 50 °F.

Establishment Care: Keep consistently moist until seedlings reach 2–3 inches; thereafter, periodic grazing or cutting promotes regrowth and forage longevity.

Rotation & Rest: Divide pasture into paddocks to allow 4–6 weeks of recovery between grazings for peak forage quality.

Ideal For

Pastured poultry operations seeking to maximize on-farm feed value

Homesteads and small farms integrating poultry into mixed-species grazing

Permaculture and regenerative systems emphasizing soil building and biodiversity

Poultry enthusiasts who value bird health, welfare, and top-quality eggs

By choosing Poultry Forage Mix, you invest in a resilient, multi-functional pasture that nourishes your flock, revitalizes your soil, and enhances the productivity and sustainability of your farm.