Landscaping around the coop...futile effort??

[Klwright1122]

Hi,
New to the forums... Crazy about chickens...I always see these really nice coops in magazines with beautiful landscaping and wonder if that is really feasible or if the vegetation was just placed there for the photographer to get his pic. I would like to plant flowers, climbing vines, put shepherds hooks with hanging baskets, window boxes etc. Is it a futile attempt? Will my chickens just eat everything that I plant? Are there any kind of plants/herbs/flowers that chickens stay clear of?

 

[redheadmama13]

They dig up all of my beds, but I would think you could do shepherds hooks with hanging baskets. If you put some kind of barrier around the vine until it is well established they would probably only eat the bottom foliage once the barrier was removed. Forget using mulch - it will be everywhere! I don't know of anything they really stay clear of, they seem to sample everything in my yard - even bromeliads.

Edited to correct spelling.

 

[benjoycei]

there is a place in BYC where it lists dangerous plants - check that out. I decorate mine but gave up on flower beds around the pen just because the poo makes the weeds very lush. I hate to weed. I do have daffodils on the out side edge of the new pen, but I have learned that they are poisonous...but the chickens ignore them and go for the grass.

 

[Amigatec]

What they don't eat they will pull out, there is not a blade of grass safe from your chickens. I don't have to mow or weedeat my chicken yard.

 

[carolinasculpture]

I have mostly limited my "beautification" to around the outside of the run. They peck at some through the fence, but the rest has a good chance of survival!...and does provide shade in the summer!