Landscaping around my coop

[ginaseven]

I would like to plants some flowers, bushes, ground cover etc around my coop and run to make it look nicer. Is there any plants that chickens won't eat or any that are dangerous to plant in the area? They only free range under supervision, but I don't want to plant a bunch of stuff they are going to tear into the first time they are out.

I have seen pics on here of gorgeous coops and flowers all over, I can only guess these chickies don't free range.
Thanks

 

[Imp]

My chickens free range from 7am till dark. They don't really mess with the plants in my backyard. I do think my experience is atypical. I have mostly shrubs and trees, but a couple years ago started putting in berries. This spring I had my RIR trying to steal the currants from my hand, but didn't go for the plant. They did do in a cranberry with their scratching, and they do tear up the beds. My lawnmower has learned to like eating large bark nuggets. I do have a few beds of perennials and the chickens could easily jump the fence (18inches) but they don't. Good luck.
I'll add a couple links about poisonous plants. And a couple pix.

Imp

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/htm/bc/ttox04.htm

http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html

 

[ginaseven]

Your yard is beautiful.
My chicks are only 4 weeks old. I had chickens for many years in the past and they ate everything they could get to, including potted plants, hanging baskets, and destroyed my perrenial beds, The only thing they didn't touch was my daffodils, and shrubbery.
So I was gonna try to do it different this time, maybe shrubs are the way to go.
Thanks for the pics

 

[Mahonri]

I try to plant grass but the local birds... sparrows, starlings and doves that live in the neighborhood, spend most of their time just outside my chicken run and they ruin it.

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Thanks for the compliment.

I believe your experience is more common than mine. I don't have a clue why I have anything left. And it's been 6+ years and different chickens. I actually encourage them to scratch at the lawn. (I'm trying to make them earn their keep by demossing the lawn) My only thought is that I only have 3-4 hens at a time, in a large backyard. I also make them a large veggie salad everynight. So maybe they are veggied out. Maybe it helps that I live in Seattle. Things grow here almost year round.

Imp- Your chickens went after hanging baskets- That's pretty determined.

 

[sashurlow]

Thanks for the links Imp... I just planted a whole bunch of day lilies around the coop to help keep the skirting in place. Hopefully the super dense roots/tubers of day lilies will also prevent predatory digging. The wife wants to add some sunflowers out of reach of the birdies. A summer treat visually and a fall snack for the birds.
Scott

 

[gsim]

I would guess that any of the japanese yews would be good. Doubt chooks would eat them or junipers or any hollies either. And they are evergreen so they look great year round. Yews and junipers are hardy into Canada. I would stay with dwarf junipers.

I am wanting to do some landscaping too. I thought of sunflowers for the summer and fall snacks. Squirrels like them, but I have an electrified run, so they will not be a problem for me. Have heard of people having their runs overrun with squirrels due to sunflowers being in them. Was also wondering about hollyhocks, a tall old-timey flower. I am going to do red flower boxes with genuine plastic flowers and vines in them. I do not want the maintenance headaches.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

the two things mine have totally left alone are Ornamental Grass clumps and Rosemary. My mind has been turned towards landscaping the new coop as well. I have been thinking of grapevines and Sunflowers . . . things that are OK for them to eat . . . still thinking though.