Ideas of plants to plant in quail run.

[chicken_angler]

I have an 8 by 8 flight pen for my quail and they have completely turned it from foot-tall grass to bare dirt. My mom wants me to plant something in there so it isnt so bare for them. I weas thinking about getting some little bushes or trees and planting them. The problem is that the sides are wood with barely any gaps for sunlight to get through. The only light would come through the aviary netting at the top.

Are there any plants that I could plant in the run that could act as foliage/bedding. I can plant grass but I am not sure if it would grow without sunlight. I also need a plant that can withsatnd a little bit of drought. The quail pen is kind of far away from the hose so I cant be lugging 50 pounds of water out to water it each day.

Thanks,
Cody!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

No matter what you plant you'll have to be lugging water until it gets established

That being said, there are many types of shrubs, bushes, and grasses that do well in low-light areas. You just need to do your homework and find out which ones do best.

I would think some ornamental grasses would do well, like monkey grass for one. They have an extensive root system, and the quail would probably not be able to kill them.

But there are certain types of grass that do well in dry, shady areas.

 

[chicken_angler]

Thanks!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I've seen people use fake trees and such. Maybe you could get one off Freecycle or craigslist cheap

 

[JJMR794]

In The Flight Pens I Have Made I Simply Quit Mowing The Grass For 3-4 Wks Before We Made The Pen. And I Dont Mow Inside The Pens, We Just Leave It Grow And The Birds Love It! I Also Added Some Corn Stalks Cut From The Garden And Leaned Up In The Corners To Make Lil Hide Spaces For Them As Well As Some Brush Piles Leaned Over In The Corners. I Also Give Them Scratch Grains As Added Food Suppliment And Treat (they Love It) And In Doing Such There's Always The Inevitable Wild Corn Stalk That Grows From Dropped Grains So They Also Get A Lil Of The Real Living Plants Too.

 

[monarc23]

Yep I do the same as JJMR and the quails normally make little trails and have areas they dig at but for the most part they keep it a jungle even my ducks keep it jungily