Planting around my run

[Tigerjane]

Quote:
Veruca

 

[maggiemooscluckers]

I'm thinking of growing vegetables around the run. That way the chickens can have whatever they want and we will eat the rest. We live in AZ so the run is nothing but dirt so some green veggies will be a welcome treat.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

The type of vine you might plant will be determined, in large part, by where you live. I live in Tucson, AZ and grape vines work extremely well. But then you can find a grape for just about any zone. I might also think about Chayote (vegetable pear, merliton) if you are warm enough. It makes kudzu look like a slowpoke and the chickens love to eat the vines. It seems that whatever vine you plant, you should at least get some food out of it for yourself or your birds.

Magiemooscluckers: You could also plant heirloom lima beans; in the lower elevations of AZ they are perennial vines. I know, chooks aren't supposed to be fed beans, but mine don't give the lima bean vines a second look.

 

[Tropical Chook]

I plant Holy Basil, Sweet Basil and Lemon Basil along the outside of my run on the one side. All three varieties deter flies and help to some extent at keeping mossies away. The Lemon Basil also gives off an amazing smell if you even brush up against it, and of course all three types are getting used in our kitchen for cooking. A couple of feet away I have some flowering pak choy which produce lovely little yellow flowers, but the main reason I grow it is because its a great tasting vegetable, and the birds love it to. The same goes for regular pak choy, chinese kale, and chinese water spinach, all of which I have growing in the vicinity of our run. All are also easy to grow and are ready for harvesting within about eight weeks or so.

My wife and I recently started selling seeds for these greens on Ebay, and so far they are proving to be quite popular. Sometimes I feel so envious because while such things may be cheap and plentiful over here in Thailand, I can't for the life of me get my hands on some nice breeds. Why didn't I get started with chickens before moving here? I could have had so many breeds running about.

BTW, if anyone is interested in the seeds we sell, you can always PM me

 

[shelaughs]

This is awesome! I want to put some plants (5 leaf Akebia is one) on and around our chicken coop. Also there is poison ivy in the area of our coop. We are in the South so it is almost unavoidable. Lots of people here have chickens of course. But is this something I should worry about? Anyone have actual experience with this?

 

[CATandTIM]

I plant Holy Basil, Sweet Basil and Lemon Basil along the outside of my run on the one side. All three varieties deter flies and help to some extent at keeping mossies away. The Lemon Basil also gives off an amazing smell if you even brush up against it, and of course all three types are getting used in our kitchen for cooking. A couple of feet away I have some flowering pak choy which produce lovely little yellow flowers, but the main reason I grow it is because its a great tasting vegetable, and the birds love it to. The same goes for regular pak choy, chinese kale, and chinese water spinach, all of which I have growing in the vicinity of our run. All are also easy to grow and are ready for harvesting within about eight weeks or so.

My wife and I recently started selling seeds for these greens on Ebay, and so far they are proving to be quite popular. Sometimes I feel so envious because while such things may be cheap and plentiful over here in Thailand, I can't for the life of me get my hands on some nice breeds. Why didn't I get started with chickens before moving here? I could have had so many breeds running about.

BTW, if anyone is interested in the seeds we sell, you can always PM me

Where in Thailand are you? Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

 

[The Triplets]

HELP ! I have read that Ficus trees (weeping fig) are poisonous to chickens and I have also read they are not... I need a large tree/bush that I can plant in a pot to provide shade for the girls. Anyone have any experience with this???

I'm in Southern California.