15 Best Crops to Grow For Chickens To Save Big On Feed

Raising chickens can be one of the most rewarding aspects of homesteading—but anyone with a flock knows how quickly the cost of commercial feed adds up. The good news? You can grow a large portion of your chickens’ diet right in your backyard. From protein-packed legumes to vitamin-rich greens, these crops to grow for chickens can help slash feed costs, improve flock health, and even boost egg production.

Whether you’re trying to cut costs, reduce dependence on store-bought feed, or simply want to provide a more natural, nutrient-dense diet for your birds, these 15 crops are some of the best you can grow to supplement chicken feed.

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Sunflowers

Sunflower seeds are rich in fat and protein—perfect for energy, especially in cold weather. The seed heads are a chicken favorite.

Nutritional Content:
1 oz of black oil sunflower seeds = ~5.5g protein, 14g fat, 2.4mg vitamin E. They are really high in healthy fats for all around wellness.

Growing tips: You can expert to get ~0.5–1 lb of seed per season per square foot of planted sunflowers. They are easy to grow in most climates and a few heads can be left in place in order to drop their seeds and encourage volunteers for next year. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Harvest ~0.5–1 lb of seeds per square foot.

• Plant tall varieties like ‘Mammoth’ along the north edge of your garden.
• Let heads dry on the stalk; hang upside down in the barn for easy winter access.

Dry the seed heads fully before brushing the seeds out. Additionally, you can hang the full flower head upside down and hang to dry in the coop, allowing the seeds to naturally fall and supply your birds with a nice snack. Harvested seeds can be stored in airtight containers in a cool, dark place to last up to 12 months.

Field Peas

These legumes are protein powerhouses and can be dried or fed fresh.

Nutritional Content: 1 cup dried peas (160g) = ~32g protein, 2g fat, 24g fiber. Up to 24% protein, with essential amino acids. Not only are they packed with protein, but field peas are easily digestible when soaked or sprouted.

Growing tips: Field peas are typically a cool-season crop. They can be planted in early spring or fall. Average yield is 0.3–0.6 lbs per square foot.

• Inoculate seeds with rhizobia to fix nitrogen.
• Plant as a cover crop to improve soil and feed to the chickens at the same time!

Harvest when pods are dry, then shell and store in sealed containers. Fiels peas will typically keep for 1+ year.

Pumpkins

Chickens love both the flesh and seeds of pumpkins. Pumpkins are also natural dewormers for your chickens!

Nutritional Content: Pumpkins are loaded with vitamin A, fiber, and anti-parasitic compounds!
1 cup pumpkin flesh = ~1g protein, 7g carbs, 245% DV Vitamin A
1 oz seeds = ~7g protein, 13g fat

Growing tips: Pumpkins need space, a lot of it, and full sun. Growing pumpkins vertically is a great space saver for small gardens. You can typically get 1–2 pumpkins per 10 sq. ft., depending on variety and the method of growing.

• Interplant with corn or sunflowers to save space.
• Toss whole pumpkins into the coop in fall—they’ll peck through it happily.

Cure pumpkins in a warm space for 10 days, then store in a cool pantry for 3–6 months.

Amaranth

This pseudo-grain grows like a weed and produces nutrient-rich seeds and leafy greens, both great for your chickens!

Nutritional Content: Amaranth is high in protein, calcium and iron.
1 cup amaranth seeds = ~9g protein, 5g fat.

Growing tips: Heat-loving and drought-tolerant. Harvest up to 0.25 lbs of seeds per sq. ft. and tons of greens.

• Scatter seeds in mid-spring and let them self-seed year after year.
• Chickens can graze young plants or you can cut-and-dry greens.

Dry seeds fully before storing in sealed jars. Greens can be dehydrated or frozen.

Comfrey

Comfrey is highly palatable and packed with nutrients with a crazy high growth rate! Comfrey is great for free-range grazing or composting into bedding/feed.

Nutritional Content: Comfrey is high in protein, calcium and trace minerals.
100g comfrey leaves = ~20–30% protein (dry weight), high in calcium

Growing tips: Prefers moist soil and partial shade. Harvest multiple cuttings per season. Yields up to 5–7 lbs per plant annually.

• Plant once and harvest forever.
• Chop and drop in coop or mix with grains for extra nutrition.

Chop and dehydrate leaves. Store in bins and mix into winter mash.

Corn (Field Corn or Dent Corn)

Corn is a staple grain source that provides energy and helps fatten meat birds. Chickens love corn because it is energy-dense, especially in cold weather when extra calories are needed.

Nutritional Content: Corn is high in carbohydrates and moderate in protein.
1 cup dried corn kernels = ~5g protein, 123g carbs, rich in B vitamins

Growing tips: Corn needs full sun and nitrogen-rich soil. It can yields ~0.5 lbs of kernels per sq. ft.

• Space plants closely (12″ apart) in blocks for better pollination.
• Let ears dry on the stalk before harvesting.

Store dried kernels in feed bags or bins. Grind for winter scratch mix.

Oats

Oats are great sprouted, raw, or fermented. Chickens enjoy the seeds and even the green shoots that offer balanced protein and an energy source.

Nutritional Content: Oats are balanced in carb/protein ratio with lots of vitamins B and E.
1 cup whole oats = ~13g protein, 69g carbs, high in manganese and fiber

Growing tips: Cool-season crop; can be grown in spring or fall. Yields ~0.25 lbs per sq. ft.

• Sow thickly in fall as a cover crop.
• Mow tops when green to feed as forage, or let mature for seed.

Store hulled or rolled oats in sealed containers. Will keep 12–18 months dry.

Kale

Chickens go wild for kale leaves, especially in winter when greens are scarce. They are one of the most nutritious greens and grow great in the winter.

Nutritional Content: Kale is high in vitamins A, C, K, calcium and antioxidants.
1 cup chopped = ~3g protein, 134% DV vitamin C, 10% calcium

Growing tips: Tolerates frost well. You can harvest ~0.3–0.5 lbs of leaves per sq. ft. with cut-and-come-again harvesting.

• Grow frost-tolerant varieties like ‘Lacinato’.
• Hang whole plants upside-down in the coop during cold spells.

Blanch and freeze, or dehydrate leaves and crumble into feed.

Alfalfa

A perennial forage crop that’s high in protein and loved by layers and meat birds alike. Alfalfa is a staple forage crop and excellent in protein and egg-yolk booster.

Nutritional Content: 1 lb dried alfalfa = ~15–20% protein, high in calcium and carotene. Alfalfa also has some beneficial trace minerals.

Growing tips: Grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. You can get multiple cuttings per year and an average dry yield of ~0.2–0.4 lbs/sq. ft.

• Grow in well-drained soil; harvest before flowering for best nutrition.
• Add chopped alfalfa to nesting boxes for health and scent.

Dry in bundles and store like hay. Rehydrate as mash or crumble over grains.

Squash (Zucchini, Crookneck, etc.)

Squash are fairly easy to grow, productive, and chickens love the flesh and seeds. Squash are typically soft, making them easy to peck, and full of moisture to keep them hydrated and busy!

Nutritional Content: Squash are hydrating with lots of fiber, potassium and B vitamins.
1 cup zucchini = ~1g protein, 17% DV vitamin C

Growing tips: Space-hungry but prolific. Can yield up to 5–10 lbs per plant per season (~1–2 lbs per sq. ft. in peak conditions).

• Let a few grow huge for long-term storage.
• Grate and freeze in meal-size batches.

Can be frozen raw, grated, or chopped. Ferment for added probiotics.

Mangel Beets (Fodder Beets)

Giant root veggies were used historically to feed livestock in winter. They can grow in the winter or early season and are loaded with energy. Chickens love both the root and tops.

Nutritional Content: Beets are rich in energy, sugar, and fiber; making them good for cold-season supplementation. Leaves are high in calcium and vitamins A & K
1 lb root = ~1g protein, 20g carbs

Growing tips: Space 1 per square foot. Yields 2–5 lbs per root, up to 5 pounds each!

• Grow in deep, loose soil.
• Feed raw chunks or cook/ferment for easier digestion.

Store roots in sand or sawdust in a root cellar. Will last 4–6 months.

Sweet Potatoes

Both the vines and the tubers are edible for chickens, making sweet potatoes a high yield crop for chickens! Soft texture, sweet taste, and vine forage? Triple win.

Nutritional Content: Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A, energy and fiber.
1 cup cooked = ~2g protein, 27g carbs, 400% DV vitamin A
Vines = excellent leafy forage

Growing tips: Needs a long, hot season and loose soil. Yields ~1 lb per sq. ft.

• Propagate slips from tubers for cheap planting.
• Let chickens eat vines post-harvest.

Cure for 7–10 days at 85°F, then store up to 6 months at 55–60°F.

Clover

Clover is nutrient-dense and fun to forage for chickens! It is considered a high-protein groundcover forage that fixes nitrogen and keeps chickens busy.

Nutritional Content: Clovers contains 20-25% protein and is packed with minerals.
Fresh leaves = ~25% protein (dry weight), packed with trace minerals

Growing tips: Plant as a ground cover. Not high-yielding in bulk weight, but great for grazing and soil health.

• Overseed in walkways or chicken runs.
• Red clover for deep roots, white for grazing.

Clip and dry for winter forage bundles.

Buckwheat

Chickens love the seeds, and it’s a fast-growing cover crop that bees adore as well!

Nutritional Content: Clover is moderate in protein with essential amino acids and minerals.
1 cup seed = ~6g protein, 5g fiber, rich in magnesium and rutin

Growing tips: Matures in 6–8 weeks. Yields ~0.2–0.3 lbs of seed per sq. ft.

• Plant after early spring crops.
• Grows in poor soil and matures in 6–8 weeks.

Store dry seeds in jars or bins. Mix with grains for a feed boost.

Chard

Chickens love leafy greens, and chard grows quickly and abundantly. It is a colorful, soft green that grows in heat and cold alike.

Nutritional Content: Chard is loaded with vitamins A, K, C, calcium and magnesium.
1 cup = ~1g protein, 300% DV vitamin K, rich in calcium and iron

Growing tips: Cut-and-come-again leafy green. Yields ~0.4–0.6 lbs of greens per sq. ft. over time.

• Harvest outer leaves only to extend lifespan.
• Mix in fermented chard stems to winter mash.

Blanch and freeze or dehydrate and crumble.

Bonus Tip: Sprouted Grains for Winter Feeding

When fresh forage is scarce, sprouting grains like wheat, barley, or lentils boosts their nutrient content, making them more digestible and rich in enzymes for your flock.

Supplementing with homegrown crops can save money, improve nutrition, and make your homestead more sustainable. Start with just a few of these crops, and scale up as your confidence (and garden) grows. Your chickens will thank you—with better health, bigger eggs, and fewer feed bills.