Coop Landscaping

[HappyFarmerswife]

For Christmas my husband is having our local nursery landscape my coop in the spring. I have a 20 foot long run that is 6 feet wide. At the end I currently have flower bed with two knockout roses. I live in north Florida at the FL/GA line. We are also adding an awning to cover my nest box lids. It will have the option to add hanging baskets. I’m open to any ideas!!

 

[raingarden]

Chickens love landscaping, especially rose bushs.

 

[Percheron chick]

Landscape far far away from the chickens.
Everything has to be protected from the girls or it's a waste of money.

 

[Folly's place]

Shrubs, small trees, protected by rocks to keep them from being dug up! Maybe some rampantly growing mint? Something not bad for them when eaten. Think about plants that provide shade and are tough and non-toxic. Some fruit would be nice too.
Mary

 

[aart]

Pics of the area(s) might help here.

 

[Folly's place]

And native plants are best too.
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would not put anything living where the chickens can get to it. 6' wide doesn't leave you or them much room to get around anyway. If you must do something in the run think in terms of something the chickens can perch on. If you try a water feature they will poop in it, it needs to be easy to clean out.

Outside the run I'd think in terms of providing shade on the sunny side. That would be the south or west side. Doesn't have to be real tall if it is fairly close to the fence, they like being in the shade of bushes. Sunlight doesn't just come straight down, the hot stuff comes in at an angle later in the day.

 

[raingarden]

We discussed using the run as one big trellis or arbor in another thread. The plants have to be rooted out away from the pen but branches or tendrils can climb up on the roof where they are mostly out of reach from the birds. Flowering vines would work. In the South, Wisteria a nice long term project. Morning Glory grows quickly for summer shade and much of the vine will die back in the winter to let winter light through. Mandevilla is slower but with nicer flowers. Bougainvillea is more shrub-like but may be worth trying. Myrtle bushes make a dense wind break and establishes itself quickly. It can be transplanted from thickets.

If you guys are farmers then why are you getting landscapers? Farmers don't do stuff like that.

 

[Ridgeback825]

We have a raised bed next to our coop that contains plant that the chickens and ducks love. We also arched a cattle panel over the walkway to the hen house to allow for vine type plants to offer easy picking and shade the internal run. We filled the bed with marigolds, zinnias and have a volunteer watermelon going up the trellis that we are going to try and care for over the winter. The chicken's absolutely love the marigolds and the ducks love the zinnias. Unfortunately we got hammered by hurricane Ian, so things got knocked back hard but will replant more before spring. I'll get some better pics in the morning. 













































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































 

[Ridgeback825]

We have a raised bed next to our coop that contains plant that the chickens and ducks love. We also arched a cattle panel over the walkway to the hen house to allow for vine type plants to offer easy picking and shade the internal run. We filled the bed with marigolds, zinnias and have a volunteer watermelon going up the trellis that we are going to try and care for over the winter. The chicken's absolutely love the marigolds and the ducks love the zinnias. Unfortunately we got hammered by hurricane Ian, so things got knocked back hard but will replant more before spring. I'll get some better pics in the morning.