Good plants/flowers for chicken run.

[Chicken love to infinity]

Hey guys we are building a coop this spring and I'm planning ahead! Since my chickens were formerly free-range, I want the coop to have flowers and plants growing in the run so they can have some activities ( mine like to hide underneath them and look for worms and bugs). I am looking for some types of cypresses that don't get too tall but are wide so they can have shade, as the coop will be in sun. They cant grow over 5 feet as I am adding overhead netting so hawks can't get to them. I am thinking maybe Ficus's but they can reach up to 8 feet and will freeze in winter. For flowers, I was thinking of Lantanas and maybe some wildflower mixes. What are the best wildflowers that are safe for chickens? Mine are rescues and don't tear up plants (Thankfully) so I am not too worried about them eating them, they just like to lay their eggs under them, or hide from predators under them. I want to make their run as naturally as possible. My chickens used to love free ranging but I sadly lost one of my hens to a hawk, so free ranging isn't an option for them. Hopefully, their run and new coop will be more fun and remind them of free-ranging. Any suggestions are helpful! Thanks!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi, my chickens free range part of the day but they also have a very large run with some tough grasses that they haven't yet been able to destroy. But also, we planted several rows of lilies several years ago that we inherited from a friend. The lilies are doing great, they love the chicken poop and enjoy the chickens scratching around under them looking for bugs. The chickens love sheltering under them for shade in the heat of the day as well, as the lilies are now so densely packed together that the earth underneath is nice and cool.

Oh, and did I mention? Lilies are toxic to chickens. But chickens are not stupid. If they went around eating everyrhing toxic, they would soon be extinct. When they free range, I'm sure there are all kinds of toxic plants out there in the wild. I can't chicken-proof the world, I just have to trust that nature gave them good instincts.

 

[Brooks_]

I would worry more about plants being torn up from the chickens scratching.

 

[MamaMona]

Following for answers. I use tarps and old patio furniture to clutter/shade the run, but I'd love to grow something they would enjoy as well! I'm leaning towards Privet, Hawthorne, and Forsythia, mainly because I already have these on my property and it seems that chickens just adore bushes in general. At the same time, I don't want to specifically put things in the run that could be toxic so I need to do my homework first...

I planted forsythia starts in a circle and as they grew they formed a thicket that was a huge hit with my girls. It's supple enough that the hawks can't land on it, and it provides shade in the summer time.

 

[3KillerBs]

In re: toxic plants, it will depend on what else they have to munch on.

If the toxic stuff is the only green there is then they'll eat it. But if it's surrounded by a lot of good stuff they probably won't.

 

[aart]

I would worry more about plants being torn up from the chickens scratching.

Exactly.

Mine don't eat the plants. Just grass and bugs. They prefer going through a pile of leaves than a pile of plants

If stuck in the run they may very well dig up the plants.

They are voracious diggers:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/excavation-by-birds-a-word-of-warning.1086535/

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Plants that I have in my run that are thriving are compact Texas sage, hummingbird sage (pretty much any plant in the sage family does great), wild sagebrush, apple tree, nectarine tree, English lavender, bush rosemary, butterfly bush, California mountain lilac, marigolds before the frost came, berry bushes (protected until they’re over 2ft tall)… I’m planning to add much more plants this spring. Research some native plants that you have around you, I find that the natives do especially well in a chicken yard. Climbing roses are something else I want to add.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So it's ok if I plant lantanas in their run? Mine have been free-ranging for months around lantanas and have not gotten sick, but now doing research they are apparently toxic

I wouldn't worry about it. I just don't believe they will eat toxic plants, given the choice, as long as there are plenty of healthy options for them.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If it's edible they will eat it. If it's in soft, freshly tilled ground, they will wallow and dust bathe in it until there is nothing left. Have fun!

 

[AnnPann]

If you have issues with japanese beetles, plant tons of marigolds inside your run. They attract the beetles. Then you can train your chickens to hunt for them in the marigold blooms. Just don't expect the plants to last through the feeding frenzy!

I let my chickens into my garden and they love hanging out under my blackberry bushes, so I plan on moving some of them to their new run for shade. They'll only eat the low hanging fruit, and the rest of them I'll be able to harvest.

Sunflowers are a great thing to plan too. I planted this variety in their run this year in 2 rows about 12" apart. The stems are crazy strong so they didn't get stomped into the ground, and grew plenty of seeds from the blooms that were just high enough to make the hens hop up to grab. The leaves were large enough to provide shade too. https://www.johnnyseeds.com/flowers...id-1121-sunflower-f1-sunflower-seed-2603.html