What Won't a Chicken Eat?

[RuralVirginia]

I have 11 chickens (4 more on the way!) with a run thats about 12ft x 20ft. At first everything was fine and the chickens would scratch around in the grass and eat all sorts of bugs that lived in the grass. Unfortunately, after several months the grass was total diminished, roots and all. With no grass the bugs stopped coming and the chickens got kind of bored. We feed them plenty of chicken feed, food scraps, and grass clippings, but I feel bad about seeing them in a coop bare of any growing plant life. Everything I've tried to plant has been eaten in seconds! So here's the big question; What plants (or small bushes) will Chickens refrain from destroying if I plant it in their run? I figure even if they can't eat the plant it will attract bugs and provide good shade. Any advice?

 

[ChickNhood]

My seem to stay clear of evergreens and thorny bishes... You moght try some type of berry like I said evergreens with a nice shard needle point... The bugs love em and the chicken should live em bewith a throny bush to est so the can enjoy the berries but will steer clear of the throns...also

 

[RuralVirginia]

Thanks, good idea. I just heard butterfly bushes were good too... hmmm... I'll give both of them a try. Thanks again for your input!

 

[Quahog]

I dump Wheelbarrow loads of dried leaves in the run. They are full of bugs and other goodies and they absorb the stink! New bugs crawl in and hide at night.

 

[RuralVirginia]

That's a great idea for the Fall! I'd still like to get some live plants in there as well.

 

[jamband]

Dumping old hay in there gives them a bug fest too........Can you rotate them????? thats really the key. try to establish anything in a run with constant scratching, heavy nitrogen etc is tough. you will need to fence around most things until they get going........also plant stuff around the run that will either drop in, attract bugs, or you can just cut and dro in. Mulberries are a favorite also raspberries and really any fruit.....supply them with food and have berries with your eggs

 

[RuralVirginia]

We only hay our fields about 3 times a year and even then it's donated to other farmers
I am thinking of adding a separate run so I can rotate them. Thanks for your ideas