Chickens eating leaves off shrubs

[Fontaine]

We planted groupings of shrubs in some of the open areas to provide hiding spaces should a hawk attack.Now they are eating all the leaves off the shrubs . We can’t fence off the shrubs as it would defeat the purpose of providing shelter. Does anyone know a safe deterrent I could spray on the leaves like deer away etc? I realize they’re eating whatever I spray on so it can’t be toxic to them. I don’t even know if they taste or smell what they eat. I tried dropping netting over at the shrubs but the chickens got tangled in it. The chickens have a whole forest full of various greenery so I don’t know why these shrubs are so special

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you know what types of shrubs they are?

Are there other green plants in the area that they could be nibbling on instead, or is this the only greenery?

 

[Fontaine]

I planted Eugenia shrubs. They were listed under non toxic bird safe plants. Yes there are many “ greens” the chickens have access to around the wooded property. Also I supplement with things like spinach,kale etc..

 

[K0k0shka]

You can't really make them eat or not eat anything... They'll do what they do, unless you provide physical barriers. I understand that you want to give them access to the underside, but that may not be possible right away. You can put a chicken wire barrier around the shrubs and give them time to grow tall enough where the chickens can't reach them anymore. Then remove the chicken wire and accept that the chickens will eat everything they can reach. But if the shrubs are tall enough by that point to have enough unreachable leaves, they will survive off of those leaves and will just look bare on the bottom, and fuller on top. I have bushes like that in my run - forsythias. They have been picked clean where the chickens can reach them, but they still have lots of taller foliage. So now they have sort of a mushroom shape. The chickens can still hide underneath, and the shrubs focus on growing new foliage higher up (I have also stopped pruning them to allow them to adapt and build enough mass higher up).

 

[Fontaine]

Thanks for the info! I will get some chicken wire around them till they grow taller. Back to Home Depot!

 

[K0k0shka]

Thanks for the info! I will get some chicken wire around them till they grow taller. Back to Home Depot!

Chicken wire around the base of plants in the chicken run is a good idea in general, even if the chickens can't reach the leaves. I found that my chickens were peeling the bark off the stems and branches and eating it and managed to kill sections of my forsythia this way. Now I have chicken wire immediately around the stems, with enough room between fenced portions for them to walk between and hide under. I got the black vinyl-coated chicken wire so it recedes into the background and is almost invisible (the shiny regular kind is an eye sore). Now that chicken wire stays there permanently, to protect the bark on the shrubs.

 

[STACEYH]

Plants they won't eat .....

• Azalea: Rhododendron spp.
• Boxwood: Buxus spp.
• Buttercup family: Ranunculaceae. ...
• Cherry laurel: Prunus laurocerasus.
• Daffodil: Narcissus spp.
• Daphne: Daphne spp.
• Foxglove: Digitalis spp.