Gourd vines and fruit safe?

[crazyhen]

Just wondering if I could plant gourds on my covered run this summer. It is high 5' and needs some shade that is not going to be there in the winter. I know they would be pretty and would plant them far enough away to keep the chicks from getting them. I would train them up 4 feet then over on the run. Jean

 

[chickiebaby]

I think that would work beautifully, as long as whatever tops your run can cupport the weight . . . surprising how heavy vies and gourds can be, but I think you should give it a try, for shade and for beauty.

 

[digitS']

Jean, since there are so many different species of plants known as gourds, it may be best not to say that they are ALL safe

.

You could choose one that is related to some of our garden vegetables - Winter squash. The bottle gourds, for example, are quite different from squash, botanically. They are a Lagenaria species in the very large Cucurbitaceae family.

Turks Turban is a Cucurbita maxima and not much different from the Buttercup squash I grow. The chickens really like this stuff (and so do people

). I'd have to assume that Turks Turban gourds would be a safe plant to have around chickens.

Steve
edited to erase something I'm very sure is safe for the birds.