Landscaping the chicken home

[delawarechickmom]

Our coop is on order, the site is picked out, the babies are scheduled to arrive the 1st week of May, but can anyone help me with safe plants for the biddies? I know they will eat almost anything, but I don't want the coop and run just sitting there without any plants around it. I'm in Delaware, Zone 7, and the rest of my yard has lots of plants in it. I know the birds will eat a lot of them while they are out, but I just wanted their home to look better. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks!!

 

[MissJenny]

How about bushes, like boxwood -- they can be maintained to any size you want and I don't think the hens are likely to eat them. And they can be had from Home Depot for about $8 each. There's also a Japanese Holly that looks quite a lot like boxwood. Steer clear of juniper as it has berries that are poisonous to some animals -- I don't know if they are poisonous to chickens, but it is possible.

If you want something trellisy you could grow a trumpet vine -- it comes in reds and golds. Or honey suckle.

A little Japanese maple would be cute and would provide shade down low where the girls will need it.

Are these the kinds of suggestions you have in mind?

Jenny

 

[delawarechickmom]

Thanks Jenny, that's exactly what I had in mind. We have a large selection of plants already in other areas such as Japanese Maple, fruit trees, hostas, etc as well as a prefab fish pond with lilies, cedar, cattails, etc. I really wanted something unique, and the vines would be great climbimg the dog run type panels we are using for their run, as well as eventually providing shade. Thanks again. I Love this site!!
Donna

 

[CityChook]

Ahhhh, zone 7 -- you are so lucky. There are so many more options available for you....

My girls leave the hydrangeas alone. And the roses, too. But the hostas and daylillies are goners.

Here's a list I like to reference:
http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html

 

[babyblue]

chickens like to eat rose petels. chickens will eat anything that they can choke down. how about a tough to kill bush like forsythia and some ornamental rocks and a few tree stumps. they will play around and wear down the beck and claws on the rocks and pick the stump apart for bugs.

 

[CityChook]

oh, okay. sorry. My chickens must have weird taste. I have over 50 rose bushes in my side/back yards and the girls have generally left them alone. However, they like to dustbathe at the base, which can get a little messy. You'd think they'd be "thorn averse" but mine don't seem to care.

Well, at least roses aren't toxic as long as they haven't been sprayed with chems.

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I use an old southern favorite in their run. It is a Rose Of Sharon. bush.
They don't care much for the leaves but, eat the seed pods in the fall.

 

[delawarechickmom]

You guys are awesome!! The website from toxic plants is great. No concern for chemicals, since I have so many pets. Anyone have any thoughts on butterfly bushes?? I have several now, and they can take a beating from the dogs, and keep on coming back. My concern is the bees they tend to attract, do you think they will bother the girls, or if the girls get ahold of them, will they be toxic (the bees, not the butterfly bush) to them. Our run is going to be a 10 x 10 dog kennel like the one TSC has on sale this month. Of course I love the better quality one they have with the welded wire, since it's much sturdier (and WAY WAY more expensive). I want to dress the run up from the outside, but I hadn't considered a tree inside, since the run gets shade from a big old tree, and we are going to use shade cloth over the top for shade & predator deterrent. But, I really like the idea of them having something natural inside as well. Will EE's try to roost in it, or not?
Thanks!!
Donna

 

[fldiver97]

Mine leave the dogwoods alone, are OK with Cardinalflowers and the native Vibernums. They have not detroyed them and the plants I have are native and hardy. I have Virginia Creeper that climbs up the chainlink fence. Also a native, will grow wild if you let it. Easily pulled up though and surviving big dogs and chickens. Grows fast as groundcover and vine... Some of my other natives are fine too I do try to keep the chooks out though when stuff is still small and tender (=tasty....)

 

[lauriruth]

i just bought a butterfly bush with hopes that they'll leave it alone! they "pick" at the rose leaves, but prefer other things. they "till" under the roses to dust bathe and stay cool. they haven't eaten my daylillies, they eat the salvia greggi, but it keeps coming back, so i plan on putting in much more of those. they dislike greek oregano so i use it as a ground cover. i'm putting in a rosemary this week, i'll let you know how they like that! they seem to stay away from pungent herbs, etc.