Climbing plants for run.

[Seaslug]

I would think that passionflower or hardy kiwi would be nice.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Nasturtium is a beautiful, edible plant that is safe for chickies

 

[linguini]

Scarlet runner beans! easy to grow, beautiful flowers, attract hummingbirds. and the beans are yummy. chickens love the leaves, but I'd keep them out of the reach from chickens, otherwise they'll eat up all the leaves they can reach.

 

[townchicks]

Lady Banks roses are thornless, and evergreen. They only bloom for a few weeks in spring, and the flowers are very tiny, but pretty. Comes in white and yellow.

 

[kalsea]

Hands down I cannot recommend hops enough! They grow a foot a day in the summer, provide amazing shade, and the chickens tend to leave them alone. We have 3 plants that grow over 60 feet of shade every summer.

 

[paintedChix]

Hops vines are beautiful!! But what do you do w/ it? Is it feed for chickens? Do you make beer? What variety (s) do you have...

Several folk I've spoken w/ say it can be really invasive. In your experience, is that true?

Vines grow well here, don't want to have something that can/will take off like kudzu. Hah - if kudzu didn't grow SOOO fast, it's fantastic. Goats, sheep, chickens & my ponies all eat it. But, no, not ready for that. On public areas near us, both counties spray to kill it off.

 

[Thymewarrior]

Heeeeey everybody!
I am wondering what kind of climbing plants would be safe to plant around my run to provide a natural shade during the summer. I would want them to climb the wire and fencing of the run. I live in Northern New Hampshire and I am wondering what kind I can use. You can look at my channel on YouTube and see my run. And if you could tell me what kind of plants would work, that would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

If it doesn't have to be climbing plants then you might consider mulberry. I have a mulberry tree/shrub growing in my chicken's run and between the chickens fertilizing it and me dumping their soiled water on it, it grows like crazy. It gives them shade in the summer and since it's deciduous it lets the sun warm the run in the winter. They love to eat the leaves and they keep the lower leaves cleaned off. I top it regularly and give it to them. That makes it spread more, so more shade.

 

[Thymewarrior]

Hands down I cannot recommend hops enough! They grow a foot a day in the summer, provide amazing shade, and the chickens tend to leave them alone. We have 3 plants that grow over 60 feet of shade every summer.View attachment 4010124

Some people are allergic to the pollen from hops.

 

[mopalia]

When they are free ranging, my chickens have access to my grape vine, and they love to jump up and eat the grapes. It's on a cattle panel arch and provides a lovely shady spot that they love to hang out under. So you might want to put in a cattle panel arch with grapes - they lose the leaves in the winter, so they get sunlight then. Right now the chickens are in another run, and they are enthusiastically eating the leaves from the roses. If it's green, they are likely to eat it!

 

[paintedChix]

When they are free ranging, my chickens have access to my grape vine, and they love to jump up and eat the grapes. It's on a cattle panel arch and provides a lovely shady spot that they love to hang out under. So you might want to put in a cattle panel arch with grapes - they lose the leaves in the winter, so they get sunlight then. Right now the chickens are in another run, and they are enthusiastically eating the leaves from the roses. If it's green, they are likely to eat it!

What type of grapes & how long have you had them on the CP trellis?