Well, by this time next year, I'll have my first garden run up and going. Here's hoping it works out like it's planned.
We are starting work on two 8x8 coops with 12x40x7 runs and a rabbit hutch at the far end of the run. There is a gap of 12' between them...in other words - three forty foot long strips twelve feet wide. We are fencing in between the runs and I'm doing scattered "green pallets" (a frame made of 2x2s with hardware cloth over the top to keep them from being able to kill the greenie goodness off) in the runs. I'll be training my vine plants in the gardens up the sides of the runs so that the side hanging into the run will provide the flock with fresh nibbles while still keeping the main part of the plant safe from them. We are alternating like this to the point that I'll have four garden runs and five chicken runs.
The gardens are going to be full of keyhole-hugelkulture beds and a few trees such as mulberry, pear, apple, fig, lemon, clove, allspice and tangelos. As well, the following plants are intended to be in the garden: turnips, carrots, mustard, collards, lettuce, snap peas, green beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, dill, basil, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, oregano, witch hazel, lingonberries, blue berries, strawberries, black berries, kiwis, black peppercorn, corn, potatoes (definitely not near the runs), tomatoes (again not near the run), lentils, etc.
The green pallets are going to be seeded with various native grasses, wheat, barley and buckwheat (I actually seed buckwheat and barley in the fall since buckwheat hates our summers...most people don't try to grow buckwheat south of the Mason Dixon; but, I've had decent results planting in the fall and having it grow over the winter here in south Texas due to the mild temperatures and increased moisture). The grains will go from the pallets in the runs out to the garden runs since they are direct planted rather and in the keyhole-hugelkulture beds.
My question is - what other plants would you consider for the chicken runs? what are some plants that your chickens go nuts for that you think would make a good addition?
We are starting work on two 8x8 coops with 12x40x7 runs and a rabbit hutch at the far end of the run. There is a gap of 12' between them...in other words - three forty foot long strips twelve feet wide. We are fencing in between the runs and I'm doing scattered "green pallets" (a frame made of 2x2s with hardware cloth over the top to keep them from being able to kill the greenie goodness off) in the runs. I'll be training my vine plants in the gardens up the sides of the runs so that the side hanging into the run will provide the flock with fresh nibbles while still keeping the main part of the plant safe from them. We are alternating like this to the point that I'll have four garden runs and five chicken runs.
The gardens are going to be full of keyhole-hugelkulture beds and a few trees such as mulberry, pear, apple, fig, lemon, clove, allspice and tangelos. As well, the following plants are intended to be in the garden: turnips, carrots, mustard, collards, lettuce, snap peas, green beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, dill, basil, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, oregano, witch hazel, lingonberries, blue berries, strawberries, black berries, kiwis, black peppercorn, corn, potatoes (definitely not near the runs), tomatoes (again not near the run), lentils, etc.
The green pallets are going to be seeded with various native grasses, wheat, barley and buckwheat (I actually seed buckwheat and barley in the fall since buckwheat hates our summers...most people don't try to grow buckwheat south of the Mason Dixon; but, I've had decent results planting in the fall and having it grow over the winter here in south Texas due to the mild temperatures and increased moisture). The grains will go from the pallets in the runs out to the garden runs since they are direct planted rather and in the keyhole-hugelkulture beds.
My question is - what other plants would you consider for the chicken runs? what are some plants that your chickens go nuts for that you think would make a good addition?
