Herbs?

[LittleMissCountry]

I would like to plant something around the chicken coop, to help it blend in with the yard and to give the chickens something to nibble on.
I was thinking of planting some herbs around the coop. Would open access to the herbs be too much for them? If so, are there better options?

 

[Spartan22]

With open access they will decimate your herbs before they actually grow to its fullest, chicken love digging and tearing so they will dig and relocate the soil around that herb plants. If you want, let the herbs grow first and whatever encroach in the run they can eat but that will take a long time. What I did was I grew a lot of herbs in pots close by and also planted herbs around the run. From time to time I normally take in 2-3 potted herbs in their run and watch them eat it all in 5 minutes, I take them out and let those herbs grow again for few weeks and repeat the process.
I’ve learned that I will only let my chicken go to my vegetable garden (very close to the coop) before I plant in spring and in the fall after harvest to clean up my veggie garden, recently I also added raised garden to protect my veggies from vultures. LOL

 

[LittleMissCountry]

With open access they will decimate your herbs before they actually grow to its fullest, chicken love digging and tearing so they will dig and relocate the soil around that herb plants. If you want, let the herbs grow first and whatever encroach in the run they can eat but that will take a long time. What I did was I grew a lot of herbs in pots close by and also planted herbs around the run. From time to time I normally take in 2-3 potted herbs in their run and watch them eat it all in 5 minutes, I take them out and let those herbs grow again for few weeks and repeat the process.
I’ve learned that I will only let my chicken go to my vegetable garden (very close to the coop) before I plant in spring and in the fall after harvest to clean up my veggie garden, recently I also added raised garden to protect my veggies from vultures. LOL

This is great info. I didn't think about them eating them before they would grow. I want to plant outside the coop, so the planting and keeping some in pots is a good idea. I already have some potted herbs started, for my own herb garde , so I could start a few more for around the coop. I wanted to plant a rose bush near the coop as well. Will that be a problem, do you think?

 

[Spartan22]

I got rose bushes on the left of the run, they don’t bother it except the soil around it, they love digging them.

 

[LittleMissCountry]

Oh good! I was hoping to plant several around, so that is good to hear.

 

[katieuppi]

My girls love lemon balm and it spreads like wild fire, so it's abundantly available for them.

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

What I did was I grew a lot of herbs in pots close by and also planted herbs around the run. From time to time I normally take in 2-3 potted herbs in their run and watch them eat it all in 5 minutes, I take them out and let those herbs grow again for few weeks and repeat the process.

Genius! I'm going to try this!