House plants for the coop?

[Sue Hawley]

Most of my chickens are free run and there is enough of everything for them sample - but not destroy. Occasionally I have to keep some in a run that now has very little left growing in it. I'd like to plant some plants that do well with the excess nitrogen and are not so tasty to the chickens that they will denude them. I will place some old bedsprings over the transplants to discourage the chickens from digging it all up before the new plants get established.
What plants will they NOt eat?
I am starting with Horseradish and Tansy.... any more suggestions out there?

 

[ll]

Do you mean actual houseplants or outdoor plants for your run?

It would definitely help to know what area/region you are in.

This is a nice plant list:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=48643-chicken-proof-garden

Good luck!

 

[chicken_noob]

Thanks for that link.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

What is Tansy. Just remember most house plants are poisonous. And what tastes nasty to you may be yummy to A chicken.

Here is a thought.... Grow things they like. But put them behind a wire screen so they can prune them for treats. There is one gal here Arianna I believe who did planter boxes and grew grass in them. She protected the grass with a plastic mesh so that when the chickens walked on it their weight would stretch it down a little so they could prune the grass.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=67374

but you could take this vertically as well. form a tube of chicken wire and go up with vines like peas.....

Just a couple of thoughts.

 

[Honeysucklefeathers]

perchie.girl :

Quote:

What is Tansy. Just remember most house plants are poisonous. And what tastes nasty to you may be yummy to A chicken.

Here is a thought.... Grow things they like. But put them behind a wire screen so they can prune them for treats. There is one gal here Arianna I believe who did planter boxes and grew grass in them. She protected the grass with a plastic mesh so that when the chickens walked on it their weight would stretch it down a little so they could prune the grass.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=67374

but you could take this vertically as well. form a tube of chicken wire and go up with vines like peas.....

Just a couple of thoughts.

Tansy is an herb and will be fine for the chicks. I dry it, shred and crumble to use in their nests as it repels mites etc. Also could use, lemon balm, peppermint, and spearmint. I find they don't destroy these and love to use a mixture of all of the above to help with any pests. Also helps with the flies.​

 

[LincTex]

We always used barley. It is super, super cheap grain.

Let it grow about 8" tall and move the chickens to that area. They eat every blade of grass!