Keeping vegitation in your run.

[junebuggena]

You can certainly plant something in the run for shade/cover, but you will have to fence around it for at least a year to give the root system a chance to get established. Things like blackberry, raspberry, grapevine, or blueberry bushes make great cover, and they also provide some forage for the flock.

 

[bullrunslabs]

I am betting that is why all my grandmas plants had rocks arranged around the bases, to protect the roots from her birds. I always thought she just loved her rocks as she used them for raised bed boarder too.

My chickens are able to free range daily for about the last two hours of the day during my work week, and then on my days off they are out most of the day, so long as they don't venture far enough to find our veggies. They really enjoy the horse pastures and breaking up the manure.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

You can plant mulitfloral rose but if you do the SWAT team may pay you a visit and make you dig it up. There is nothing more invasive except maybe Small Pox. Let it get a good start because even though multifloral rose will stop a T-Rex, I am unsure if it will survive chickens. All I can say is mine did.

 

[bullrunslabs]

Oh, well I am not sure that I could handle SWAT showing up, and making me dig even worse! I think for now I will start some ferns and salmonberries in tomato type cages. We have plenty of them on the property that if these don't survive it wont be a loss.

 

[Folly's place]

Ferns are toxic, at least to some species. Grow something else instead. Viburnums, blueberries, rugose roses, and smaller trees, like dogwoods, fruit trees, American cranberry bush. Lots of choices! Lilacs? Mary

 

[lynnehd]

Ferns are toxic, at least to some species. Grow something else instead. Viburnums, blueberries, rugose roses, and smaller trees, like dogwoods, fruit trees, American cranberry bush. Lots of choices! Lilacs? Mary

Lilacs are a good one!

I'll add Rose of Sharon because the leaves and flowers are safe and rich in calcium.

I've got one on my run surrounded by wire, which I'll remove when it is tall enough. They'll strip the base, of course.
They can get quite tall, depending on the species, but are easily pruned.

 

[bullrunslabs]

We have ferns, daffodils,hydrangea, tulips and rhododendrons all over the property, all of which are toxic to chickens, however we have never had a problem with them eating any of those plants. As a matter of fact, every so often we get a rogue hen who decides she needs to perch in our rhododendrons and make them her home. And we have to pack her up and take her back to the hen house at nights. All three years, with completely different hatches and blood lines we have the same issue with the rhododendrons.

 

[bullrunslabs]

I hadn't thought of lilacs! They are one of my favorite plants too! Thank you! I will switch out the ferns for those!

 

[Newbee58]

Can you plant honeysuckle plants around the run.

 

[bullrunslabs]

Yes. Those would probably do really well. Do you think they would climb up and over or are they more of a bush like a lilac?