Need some ideas for shade bushes in a non roofed chicken pen. (Updated w/ pics pg 2)

[21hens-incharge]

When I swap out the plastic barrier for the metal fence I posted above, I plan on going from 4ft to 5ft and was thinking this would be enough to keep the girls in since they just barely get over the plastic now. I never thought to put bird netting over the whole thing which should be pretty easy.

Thanks!

I must have missed the metal fence part. My dogs have been rather reactive to all the people outside today.

My apologies for that. Most birds will stay within a 5' fence. I have had a few lightweight breeds that were well flighted so required a top cover. Don't forget about hawks in you plans. They are my #1 problem in my suburb.

 

[BallsEleven]

I must have missed the metal fence part. My dogs have been rather reactive to all the people outside today.

My apologies for that. Most birds will stay within a 5' fence. I have had a few lightweight breeds that were well flighted so required a top cover. Don't forget about hawks in you plans. They are my #1 problem in my suburb.

Yes, I haven’t had any issues with hawks yet but do see them from time to time and a buddy a street over lost 2 chickens to them. The net over them could definitely let me relax and let them wander in the pen while I’m at work.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Must be nice to have blackberries as a nuisance!

Haha not so nice when it invades everywhere. I have about a good acre of blackberry (so about 1/4th of the property) and have to actively trim it back from spring through fall - if I don't it'll eat up my driveway.

 

[BallsEleven]

Haha not so nice when it invades everywhere. I have about a good acre of blackberry (so about 1/4th of the property) and have to actively trim it back from spring through fall - if I don't it'll eat up my driveway.

My 2 boys would eat themselves into a food coma.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

4' plastic fencing is enough to keep my birds out (flock below) - they defeat it by landing on the 4' gate, then hopping over. In addition to thornless blackberry (ours are wild, native, have thorns and small fruit, sadly) which my birds like, blueberry will also do well in your soils (we have similar climates, you and I - though you have been much wetter these past two years with the unceasing pounding of the hurricanes - and it takes a while to put on size.

I've had good luck with rosemary, once its beg enough that they can't break off low branches by tripping over/thru it (more a problem with the ducks, who like to nest and lay eggs next to it).

A final consideration, though again you are looking a couple years down the road, would be to build a grape arbor with posts and wire, a handful of plants. The first year, it should climb the post and begin down the wire before freezing back. The second year's growth might get you 6-8 feet down the wire, but not much shade below. By the third year, you should be seeing fruit, good shade projected by each wire for most of the 12-15' length during the summer and fall. Mine love the fruit (of course - we have wild muscadine, plus some varietals I planted deliberately) - but completely ignore the vine and leaves.

If you'd rather do trees - look to serviceberry and jostaberry, but check your needed frost hours, you may be borderline on those.

 

[21hens-incharge]

When out in the main yard mine enjoy the lilac bushes.

 

[cmom]

When I swap out the plastic barrier for the metal fence I posted above, I plan on going from 4ft to 5ft and was thinking this would be enough to keep the girls in since they just barely get over the plastic now. I never thought to put bird netting over the whole thing which should be pretty easy.

Thanks!

I had some leghorns go over a 6'gate. I eventually put some wire up attached to the gate. It pretty much stopped them except for two who would always find a way out, Houdini-1 and Houdini-2. They both got out one too many times. My fences are 5'. I made the gates 6 feet for their pen. Also get some good netting. My DH and a friend built me a couple of coops that were open on one side. I did put tarps up over the open sides. When I first put up my netting I ran short and bought some netting online that turned out to be crappy but put it up anyway thinking it would deter aerial predators and it did except a persistent owl that went through the netting three times. Each time it killed a bird. Each time it went through I replaced that section with another piece of that same netting. I moved the birds to another coop and put up a camera. Caught it in action. I did replace that netting with some good netting and the owl tried again but got stuck. We managed to get it into a cage and a wildlife rescue came and got it. They said they had a release area and that it shouldn't be back. I have seen other owls since. Good luck...
You really can't see it in the picture but the coop in the very left side of the pictures, does have shade cloth attached to the front of the coop which also has wire over the open end of that coop. I have since put a shade table in that pen too.

 

[Krugerrand]

4' plastic fencing is enough to keep my birds out (flock below) - they defeat it by landing on the 4' gate, then hopping over. In addition to thornless blackberry (ours are wild, native, have thorns and small fruit, sadly) which my birds like, blueberry will also do well in your soils (we have similar climates, you and I - though you have been much wetter these past two years with the unceasing pounding of the hurricanes - and it takes a while to put on size.

I've had good luck with rosemary, once its beg enough that they can't break off low branches by tripping over/thru it (more a problem with the ducks, who like to nest and lay eggs next to it).

A final consideration, though again you are looking a couple years down the road, would be to build a grape arbor with posts and wire, a handful of plants. The first year, it should climb the post and begin down the wire before freezing back. The second year's growth might get you 6-8 feet down the wire, but not much shade below. By the third year, you should be seeing fruit, good shade projected by each wire for most of the 12-15' length during the summer and fall. Mine love the fruit (of course - we have wild muscadine, plus some varietals I planted deliberately) - but completely ignore the vine and leaves.

If you'd rather do trees - look to serviceberry and jostaberry, but check your needed frost hours, you may be borderline on those.

Grape / kiwi on a cattle panel trellis: (photos from web)

 

[Ursuline Chick]

I have 2 Mayer lemon trees and a blood orange tree, they provide shade and protection for the hens and food for us. I also have some homemade shade areas that the hens often use to dust bathe under. I have a grape vine, but have been too lazy to train it yet.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Grape / kiwi on a cattle panel trellis: (photos from web)
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Hijacking, just a moment, to say how much I love this.

Ours are more traditional. 8' posts, sunk at an angle, steel wire with earth augurs. My plants are 10' apart, on 20' runs - but there are places I could definitely do this on the property.