Chicken proof plants

[srfrgrl]

Hello there,
I was wondering if anyone could tell me of a plant/ground cover, that is chicken proof...meaning they won't try to eat it. My backyard needs a little color other than brown and I would like to plant some stuff. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[kellysmall87]

My garden was full of plants before I had my chickens! The only plants that I have left are spiky palm type ones, Ivy type climbing plants (they'd cover the ground nicely), Lillies-poisonous to cats, don't know about chickens but they don't touch them!, Conifers - the small type, sweet peas, and some other shrub type bushes that have small flowers on - don't know their name. Also I have some ornamental grasses which they haven't touched. They seem to like thin leaved plants, the plants I have left all have quite thick leaves.

Hope that helps!

 

[srfrgrl]

Thanks kelly,
I will keep the "thick leaved" plants in mind. I wonder if they would avoid purslane. I'll have to give it a try.

 

[c2chicks]

My girls are still quite young (14 wks), and very picky eaters (!) I'm hoping they grow out of that soon and start eating all the scraps I provide. In the garden though, they don't seem interested in ANY of the herbs...they won't touch the basil, rosemary, oregano, any of the thyme varieties, mint...even the lavender. At least I have a safe place for herbs!

 

[nobodyherebutuschickens]

Hmm. Chickens can learn to eat just about anything, if they're hungry enough. They do eat purslane readily, and we often throw it into the pen for a snack. They really seem to enjoy succulents, including our Hens-and-Chicks, ironically.

 

[Lynn0284]

My girls are still quite young (14 wks), and very picky eaters (!)  I'm hoping they grow out of that soon and start eating all the scraps I provide.  In the garden though, they don't seem interested in ANY of the herbs...they won't touch the basil, rosemary, oregano, any of the thyme varieties, mint...even the lavender. At least I have a safe place for herbs!

Your lucky I have seen my chicken pecking at my garlic chives, sage, oregano and thyme. Maybe my chickens are piggies.

 

[Moonflowerlady]

Hi i noticed this thread after i started a new THREAD "Experimenting with ways to keep chickens from destroying flowers & plants in the yard & garden" i Love our chickens but i Love my flowers and plants and vegetable garden too. I AM on a mission to find ways to detour the girls and i will update as i find what works to keep them from scratching around plants. I am looking to recycle things i already have or buy cheap. IF U are still looking for an evergreen ground cover So far my chickens havnt bothered my periwinkle i will look up name of it if u are interested.

 

[darinhill]

I had a lovely spring garden until the chickens "found" it. They mostly destroyed the whole thing. I have found the best thing to do is fence the area if you are really concerned about the plants. They haven't touched my golden orb bush (nice flowering bush great for butterflies) or my confederate rose (the blooms change color from white to pink). They destroyed my herb garden by dust bathing around them until all the plants were dug up. My only other experiment was to let my grass grow long in the spring and not treat it with any weed killer (more natural pasture effect) and that did seem to encourage grazing with out damage to one particular area, downside was the explosion of mosquitos in the tall grass. Good luck and if you find anything that works let us know.

 

[maizy'smom]

srfrgrl,
You don't say where you are, climate-zone wise. I am guessing, if you are a surfer-girl, you're either in Florida or California, or even Hawaii. I am in Zone 6, South East corner of Pennsylvania. My girls have scratched my day lilies to death, seemed to enjoy the chocolate mint, and are doing their best to eradicate the periwinkle, coral bells, lilies of the valley, and bleeding hearts. The only thing that remains is liriope (monkey grass), though the girls dig through it mercilessly, trying to get at the ginkgo bomb pits. (Ginkgoes have a fruit that LOOKS like an apricot,{it stinks like sour vomit} and the pit is like a pistachio, once it is dried.) The more successful plants are the shrubs, like lilac, hydrangea, hardy orange, Carolina Sweet Shrub, quince, privet, Japanese Holly and roses. And my Clematis are surrounded by half inch hardware cloth any way, due to the Beast, our resident ground hog. Hope you find this useful. Good luck. (And I am on a quest for very shade tolerant grass, if you hear of any.....)

mm