Winter Cover Crop Chickens will Eat?

I'm trying to figure out what cover crop to plant in my vegetable garden for the winter. I would like something that the chickens will eat, preferably something high in protein. I was thinking of trying Hairy Vetch but I'm not sure the chickens will eat it. Any suggestions? By the way I'm zone 7. Thanks.

I am curious what you planted and if they are eating it?

For the winter i want to eventually have a plot for winter crops for them. But meanwhile, i find it and bring it to them, a couple of different winter grasses that come up volunteer around here. Also farmland crops blow around roadsides here and come up, like clover and alfalfa. I have a littl egarden around the chicken pen for them with winter onions planted which they love. I intended to plant garlic there but missed that opportunity i think. I am in zone 6b.

tf

try cowpeas
for protien i would do vermicomposting for the protien .
saw an article in ME NEws or use spinich which is very cold hardy.
hope it helps
sue

I ended up taking too long to get my new garden ready. I had thought about cowpeas. Next year i think I'll try cowpeas and hairy vetch, hopefully they'll eat the vetch

vetch sounds yummy, they might not like the hairy part LOL

time to start planning if you plan to plant for the chickens this winter...

Joel Salatin doesn't excactly say in his books on his Salad Bar and what type of grass , legumes he uses in his crops But obvious you go with your climate but it would be a start
what about Vetch or clover ? with timothy hay?