Daffodils and ducks and chickens.

[LittleMissCountry]

The previous owner at our house planted daffodils all around the little wooded area where our chickens free range. They don't eat them. The first time they were out they nibbled on them but never went back and it didn't hurt them. They also tasted the black locust tree leaves, which are also toxic, and now they leave those alone as well.

 

[featherhead007]

Daffodils are toxic but chickens aren't likely to eat them. The leaves are thick and tough. They might try to take a nibble of the bright blossoms when they're in flower, so if you grow them, try to keep your chickens away when they're in flower.

I don't know what USDA zone you're in, so it's tough to know what to recommend planting. Also, I have no experience with prairie dogs. But rabbits and chickens will generally avoid eating anything with a strong smell, and that is mostly herbs. Thyme, lavender, rue, bean herb, hyssop, sage, artemisias. Rosemary is very good if you can grow it in your area. Euphorbias are good. Hardy geraniums. Catmint isn't toxic to chickens, and that is a good one. Probably agastaches. Maybe marigolds and chrysanthemums and feverfew. Alliums, including chives and Chinese chives. All are worth trying.

With rabbits, I find that putting a wire cage over the tender new growth works well. Once the plants are bigger and have tougher stems and leaves, rabbits will usually leave them alone, and they can usually make good any damage that's done at that point, anyway.

That list of strong smelling plants, sounds like a song! Did you write it for Simon & Garfunkel?

 

[odswartz]

Thank you for the list. I will look further into some of these things, and some are already in the works! I am in zone 4b and at 10,000 ft so everything is tricky, but the more people I talk to, the more I find that works to try in place of some of the things that have failed. It was also recommended that I try to put half a milk jug over seedlings to create a little micro-climate for them and also protect them from the critters and the elements until they are bigger and stronger. I have some rosemary, garlic, chives, marigolds all to grow this year. We have lots of natural sagebrush growing (I know it's not the same variety most people cook with) as well as yarrow and some other wildflowers. I have seen sunflowers at neighbors' houses, so I have some of those to try as well. It's soooo hard though, it's one thing to deal with the climate but another thing entirely to deal with the critters. I did get a cat that I send out hunting, which has helped, but he hasn't caught anything in a few weeks now, he must have grown accustomed to the lazy indoor life over winter.

Have you considered Zinnias? They grow practically anywhere, are very pretty flowers and my chickens don't bother them at all. Not even a nibble (after the seedling stage, of course)