Bocking comfrey for chickens and a giveaway

Autumn comfrey

I wrote over on my homesteading blog about the power of comfrey last week.  What I didn’t mention there is that I splurged and bought two Bocking 4 comfrey plants last fall.  Bocking 4 is reputed to be the best comfrey variety for livestock due to its higher protein Russian comfrey flowerslevels and better flavor, and we want our chickens to have the best.



Even though the Bocking 4
plants will be in our pastures eventually, my new method is to put
purchased pasture plants on the outside of a fenceline at first. 
That way, the plants can get established without being pecked and
scratched to pieces, some parts of the plants will dip into the pasture,
and, after year 1, I can split these plants apart to create lots more
that will actually go into the pasture.


Comfrey along a fenceline

So now it’s time for that
split!  As you can see from the photo at the top of this page, two
little roots grew into two huge plants that filled up a
four-foot-by-two-foot zone along the fenceline.  I’m hoping I can
get at least a dozen babies from these plants and will plant them along
the inner fencelines of our tree alleys
in our new pasture.  The photo above shows how I already planted
out some of my unnamed comfrey variety into that setting.  The
plants look droopy now, but as I learned last year with my terrace experiment, the comfrey will be bushy and thriving come spring with no care on my part.

Do you want to join my in my comfrey-for-chickens experiment?  I’m
going to set aside two starts for one lucky reader.  Just leave a
comment below by midnight on Thursday, November 28 (Thanksgiving). 
I’ll use a random number generator to choose the winner and will
announce here on the blog next week.  So be sure to check back to
find out if you won!

Latest Comments

  1. Maggie November 25, 2013
  2. Bill hawk November 25, 2013
  3. Linda November 25, 2013
  4. Carol November 25, 2013
  5. https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawnjZPZ9sf_8-5VCRqC4aVu2wWkI_4kxmzo November 25, 2013
  6. Kate Turner November 25, 2013
  7. John Swift November 25, 2013
  8. https://me.yahoo.com/a/yaWwdddxxtC1N4dgxwsG8AKIzhH.CHE-#e6b93 November 25, 2013
  9. Diane C November 25, 2013
  10. mary Paulsen November 25, 2013
  11. Terry November 25, 2013
  12. Kate Turner November 25, 2013
  13. Jenn November 25, 2013
  14. Dana C Tryde November 25, 2013
  15. Deb Alianello November 25, 2013
  16. nicole November 25, 2013
  17. Rys November 25, 2013
  18. Audra Daniel November 25, 2013
  19. Lauri Pratt November 25, 2013
  20. Clara November 25, 2013
  21. anna November 25, 2013
  22. Ann Hauser November 25, 2013
  23. Ron Hyer November 25, 2013
  24. John Thompson November 25, 2013
  25. Lee November 25, 2013
  26. Lee November 25, 2013
  27. Lee November 25, 2013
  28. Kim November 25, 2013
  29. https://me.yahoo.com/a/v.RH3xUipYNro7Ubml_Q9vXVCdzT.LUS23c-#5fa7b November 25, 2013
  30. Julie Keith November 26, 2013
  31. anna November 26, 2013
  32. john stone November 26, 2013
  33. Angie & Sheila morig November 26, 2013
  34. Lori Edmison November 26, 2013
  35. Crowfox November 26, 2013
  36. Olivia November 26, 2013
  37. john stone November 26, 2013
  38. Amanda November 26, 2013
  39. anna November 26, 2013
  40. https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawk4jCACAC4JKFI44Kk7zRKB72wGrQpWAKI November 27, 2013
  41. David Davsion November 27, 2013
  42. STEVE BARR November 27, 2013
  43. Jenni November 27, 2013
  44. Denise November 27, 2013
  45. Daniel November 27, 2013
  46. anna November 27, 2013
  47. Deb Casey November 28, 2013
  48. Laurie Smith November 28, 2013
  49. Carolyn November 29, 2013
  50. Lee December 10, 2013
  51. anna December 11, 2013