Gardening with chickens

[KingSpeck]

Thanks everybody! Now I have a few things I can try next year. Pretty much the only things that made it through this year were a butterfly bush and the upper two-thirds of a lilac.

 

[GardeNerd]

Sorry, I am a little late to the chat. I have had luck with quite a few plants being left alone so far. I have a BYC page I compiled with pictures and names of the plants that have survived my chickens.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=20741-plants-chickens-dont-eat

I have noticed my chickens leave slightly toxic plants alone, other than maybe a one time sample. However, there isn't anything deadly in my yard that could kill or permanently harm my kids, my dog, or my chickens, but only at the worst upset a stomach, make them barf, or itch. I check the toxicity type and level before planting anything.

 

[cybercat]

My older plants have made it just fine. These are a biggger size so I guess they got ignored. What some are rosemary, lavender, some roses, hostas and a few ferns. Not sure if the daylilies amde it past them this year. These are planted in a very heavy mulch area. Lots of other plants and weeds went to the chickens. Anything you just planted will have to be protected for a year I think. Our chickens free range and my garden has no fence this year. Next year we will fence before spring to give plans a chance to grow before letting chickens in that area. Since our hostas come in a different times it will be before spring last frost that fence goes in.

 

[beth59]

Mine like my hibiscus leaves and pepper and tomato plants. I have a butterfly garden with a number of different plants that they haven't bothered - just scratched up the pinestraw mulch looking for bugs. Mine are also bad about scratching the soil out of potted plants.

Beth

 

[flower]

Do they eat your veggies ? Oh boy do they ! They love anything green. My four hens even tried the Iris leaves but mostly left them alone. Evergreen and daffodil were safe. I have to fence them in so I can keep my garden alive.