Vining / attractive / edible plants for the run fencing

We are in Tucson, contrary to what many think about AZ..I handle the heat very well here and only a handful of times last summer did we get above 100..but it is dry/ sandy soil and there is a lot of sun. Our run will have a chain link outside and I really want to grow things on the outside of the fence line to cover up the chain, offer shade, and give treats to the birds who peck thru it....maybe even add safety with thorns like with berries.... I have planted Bougainvillea on our other post rail fencing and see it is safe for birds...what else is good to use?? What about herbs? Try putting in herbs and chickens into google..you get recipes

What do they like? What is hardy..easy to grow, fast recovery..what have you had luck with?

I did find this link that does help..but I would love actual experience info, thank you!

http://www.cockatielcottage.net/houseplants.html

I found a great post thru google by digging like crazy -


"I use antique climbing roses on my run and they do great. The chickens will keep the interior trimmed of anything that comes through or is within the first inch of the wire. I also have lemon balm on the outside, and they love to get my trimmings when I pinch it back.

I have 2x4 welded wire fencing across the top of the run to keep the cats and other critters out. Two roses have covered the whole top of a 8'x16' run. At my new house, the run will be 12'x24, and I plan on putting 3 roses. Since it's out in the hot sun, I plan on putting my lemon balm and lime balm out there, some old hardy crinums (they attract the snails, a treat for the chickens), daylilies, and maybe the short cannas. I don't want to completely block the sides so I can have air circulation - today's forecast is 96. My mother uses Madam Galen Trumpet vine on her chicken run."

SO we have

antique climbing roses

lemon balm

lime balm

Madam Galen Trumpet vine

scarlet runner beans

I planted pole beans all around my chicken run. I will look nice and make a little shade too.

Not sure about your climate, but maybe grapes.

I've planted sugar snap peas and given the leaves to the chickens.

Imp

Thank you..I like both of those ideas..I also ordered some of the scarlet runner beans....

I've heard Morning Glories to attract bugs for the chickens to nab.

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Nina, in CA I grew like like 90 different varieties of glories...people keep saying to not plant them becuase they are toxic..but besides that..they are illegal here My heart is broken. I see people doing it anyway...who cares if I get a citation

Glad to see this Question I'm in south Phoenix and working on the same thing. Ive decided to plant some Yams on the hot east sunny side (I'm not to worried about ever digging up for the roots, but the vine is wonderful and comes back year and year!) and some squash. That's the only side that has dirt as the coop and run are built on slab. So far I haven't decided what else. The ASPCA has a list of non toxic plants, but only for cats/dogs/horses so I've been double checking the lists against chickens and rabbits.
I was thinking of putting in a dwarf orange tree and a few berry bushes as well. The bushes I will ring with Chicken wire so everything outside the wire is for the animals.
I will be watching to see what else people come up with.

Oh also I'm playing with the idea of window type boxes on the outside, with some kind of flowing grasses, or hanging vine type plants, so they can have whatever grows on the inside of the run, but still would provide shade.

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DO you have the sand floor like we do here in Tucson? Yams do well in that? Are you putting anything over them or do you not have a ground squirrel issue? I loved the squirrels but they are putting holes all over our entire acre!!!!!!

I ordered wheat grass and I do plan on doing the "salad bar" in the coop to keep grass in their for them and I wanted flower boxes too!

Great ideas! I'm about to build my run and have been thinking about this as well. I just have to say how gratifying it is to see my plans come together tangibly!

I dug up some hostas (not a fan, and they were in a far too sunny spot and WAY overgrown) and remembered reading somewhere that chickens love to eat hostas. So I planted a bunch of the dug up roots on the shady side of the coop next to where I plan to put a rain barrel. It's outside the fence, but I figure I'll pull of leaves for the chickens to eat, but they won't completely demolish the plants. I don't know if there will be enough sun there, but the bean idea is good too- I seem to have gone overboard buying pole bean seeds this year, so perhaps I'll do this around the run as well.

I love morning glories, but everyone I know has basically threatened me with bodily harm if I plant any. My dad is a farmer and to this day, after two generations of farming, still has issues with them in his fields, and in their old house my mom had a problem with them in her garden. They are VERY invasive, so if you do choose to plant them keep that in mind. If it's a small area where they can't get out of control then I would say go for it. Does anyone know- do they seed out also, or just grow really fast?