Need advice for the best vines and plants for in a chicken run!

[Matylda]

I love planting mints around the house, yes it will spread but it also keeps all critters and bugs away as a natural repellant.

And it smells heavenly. I love having it and even chives growing on the lawn. Especially when lawn mowing. Manicured lawns are not for chicks, they're for people.

 

[StinkyAcres]

it is a native plant and makes a great ground cover.

Some mint species are native.

 

[Matylda]

Some mint species are native.

Well then, let's hope she buys some American Wild Mint (Mentha Canadensis). It'll be worth it!

​

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

While mint is invasive, which in my humble opinion is a good thing since I LOVE the smell of it, it is a native plant and makes a great ground cover. Your chickens will love it and their breath will be ever so delightful.

Will it spread to my yard outside the run very fast?

 

[StinkyAcres]

Will it spread to my yard outside the run very fast?

As long as it survives the chickens, yes, it will quickly spread into your lawn.

 

[Ralph_Mueller]

I have a fully enclosed chicken run and I wanted to plant some vines on the walls all around it. I would plant them on the outside of the run so that the chickens couldn't dig them up. I was thinking grape vines? I know grapes are toxic to chickens, but I think they won't eat them if they are toxic. Would you guys suggest different vines? I'm not set on Grape, it was just the first thing to come to mind. I want decently fast growing ones. The reason I want to plant vines on the walls is because: A-I love how it looks, B-my dog is always harassing the chickens through the fence (with vines, he wouldn't be able to see them), C-It would give them shade in the summer, D-It will attract bugs for the hens to eat, and E-It might help keep predators away(?). I live in Post Falls ID so I think I am in zone 6B (for plants). If I had vines all around the run, would it make it too dark? My run does not have a roof, but it does have a big tree in it. My run wall is made of this https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/red-brand-welded-wire-60-in-x-100-ft wire and is reinforced with wood posts every 4-5 ft or so.

I also want to plant some bushes inside the run for enrichment, but I think the chickens would just dig them up. Would there be any way I could put some sort of chicken wire over the dirt near the bushes so that they can't uproot them, without inhibiting the growth of the plant? If there is, what bushes would you suggest for inside a chicken run? Incase it matters, my run is about 301.438 sq ft, and I have 9 hens.

There is an old saying "Nothing but chickens survive in a Chicken coop." I wouldn't plan on planting too much inside of a chicken coop/pen and expect it to survive. Best to plant on the outside and let things grow up and over. Otherwise you are going to want something robust and well established above the reach of the chickens. I would also point out that unless you have them in a roofed pen, that could introduce them a way to escape their confines.

 

[paintedChix]

They are however VERY toxic to dogs. A single grape can kill a dog or cause kidney failure which is very expensive to treat. If you have dogs, DO NOT plant grape vines.

Yeah, I had 4 muscadine vines. GD's left a pony gate open & in less then 2 hours, 3 ponies devoured the flowers, leaves & smaller vines & stomped the older vines & roots into the ground.

I haven't replaced them yet...

 

[paintedChix]

Mint is something I always recommend you plant in pots. It spreads like wildfire and it's nearly impossible to get rid of it . It's VERY invasive and the root system is beyond extensive. Please trust me when I tell you planting it in pots is the ONLY way to go. (Speaking from experience!)

So far, every time I've planted mint I've managed to kill it. Plain mint, Cat mint, Spearmint, Chocolate mint, lemon balm...

It doesn't get aggressive or crazy growing when it dies first.

Same with both Russian Bocking 14 & "normal" Comfrey...