Landscaping around the coop area

[llnmaw]

Sorta coop related?

Our coop is in the side yard, chickens have access to the whole side yard (fully fenced) and it is currently a lovely mixture of weeds and dirt. It looks awful and I've never really cared until now as we are spending so much time back there I want it to look nicer. Do those of you with lovely landscaped yards just never let your girls out? Is it a pipe dream to think I can actually grow something in their area? It is a generous sized side yard area so they will not be concentrated to a small area in which to forage.

My plan....find out what a chicken might not like, protect it until it is mature and then see what happens. Got any linkies about plants that chickens might not devour? (I've seen the one about toxic plants)

Any suggestions? We are in zone 4 ( I think). I'm planting a fruit tree for some eventual shade, beautification and..well...fruit! But I'd like some shrubs? Something that might flower? Evergreen?

While I'd love flowers I'm pretty certain those would be a goner based on the destruction of the tulip leaves nibbled through the fence

Oh, maybe sunflowers? If I can get them big enough to not get demolished?

Thanks!
~L.

 

[Sorin]

The only advice I can offer is to warn you chickens love scratching in mulch if you plan on using any. I hope someone else will offer more advice, Good Luck!

 

[hennyannie]

I hope some folks with more chicken/landscape experience reply. I too have been wondering about shade options for around my chicken area.

 

[newchknmama]

Me too! I am putting my girls in the side yard as well and didnt know if landscaping was an option or not. I dont want it to look like a barnyard over there.

 

[Judy]

My chickens never destroyed any shrubs or young trees. They will lay bare an area where they come out of the coop. They ate all the grass and what weeds they wanted in a 64'x64' chicken yard (around 15 chickens.) OTOH, when turned loose, which used to be all the time, they have about an acre of "lawn" (mowed whatever-comes-up) plus areas of high weeds and some woods, and they never made a bare spot in the "lawn."

 

[hennyannie]

I would just like to make sure I don't plant something that will be totally destroyed the first week or harmful to livestock. I am familiar with what horse and goats can't eat but our farm chickens always stayed in coop/run when I was growing up so it was a non-issue.

 

[llnmaw]

Did a little digging and found this:

http://hanburyhome.wordpress.com/chicken-resistant-plants-2/

Off to see what might survive in our climate.

I still welcome any plants that have worked for your own yard/chickens!

~L.

 

[hennyannie]

Good job! I saw alot on there that I already grow so now I know it won't hurt them I can plant some in their area too!

 

[Carols Clucks]

Sunflowers and hollyhocks work here.

Our chickens do not like hollyhock plants at all, but enjoy the digging and kicking and shade.

 

[flowergirl60]

Well, they haven't touched my rosebush yet.

and it's got alot of pink blooms.