New chicken owner

[utefan_42]

Hi guys. Thank you for all the information i have gotten off of this site. I am a first time chicken owner, smack dab in the middle of Salt Lake city. (No, they aren't legal yet, but they will be soon). I have just finished building my coop, and it sits in the back corner of my garden. My question is this, What can/should i plant around my run so that the chickens can have a little treat. I want to make it look a little nice around it, and so i figured I could plant some vegetables that they could stick their heads through the fence and snack on. any Suggestions?

 

[lunkerchicken]

I am new to this as well and don't have a clue as to what you can plant BUT I did want to say that is a very nice chicken coop! I am building mine now - hope to be done in the next week or two.

 

[Chirpy]

Welcome to BYC!

Whatever you plant in your chickens reach will be quickly decimated. So, maybe planting something non toxic nearby but not in their reach? Are you going to let them free range in your backyard?

Your coop looks great.

Are there windows for light somewhere? Are you going to fence in the coop itself to give your chickens more space and a shaded area?

 

[utefan_42]

You can't see it very well, but the copp is fenced in with chicken wire. I am also going to cut two windows out on above the lid to the nesting boxes, I am just waiting for it to warm up a little more before i do it.

 

[Nektro]

Nice looking coop, We are also Outlaw Urban Chicken Ranchers from Draper, UT.

What part of Salt Lake are you in.

 

[utefan_42]

West Jordan. We are unincorporated Salt LAke County, So hopefully the ordinance passes this month and my chicks will be legal.

 

[shay20]

and nice coop.

 

[allmypeeps]

Yes, Great coop!- and will be even better once the windows are cut in and the chickens can see what they're doing in there! LOL

as far as planting something for them to munch...its a good IDEA but almost pointless- as someone else stated they will decimate it in one hour flat- and it will NEVER get a chance to grow back- ever! There is a barren dirt path that extends about six inches around my entire chicken fence, where the lush green yard grass was pecked into extinction.

I once spent the day digging pesky unwanted dandilions out of my step mothers front yard to transplant along MY chickens' fence.... here I was thinking I was going a grand thing- In one day the dandilions were eated down to the dirt and pecked to the point of oblivion.

Best bet for treats and stuff for entertainment...my husband and I stop (inconspicuously) whenever we see a big field with dandilions and clovers and we pick a bag full of it and take it home (break it up a bunch) and toss it in their pen. They love it. They also love slices of watermellon, cantelope, corn cob, huge cucumbers, whole tomatoes, anything you can part with. Our families always grow so many veggies they end up composting most of it, so last time we convinced them to set it aside for our birds instead of the compost pile.

They will eat everything and anything (or at least try to) they are more 'billy goat' then billy goats I think! LOL

if you have a big enough yard, you can try to allow them as much raoming space as you can as that should keep them pretty busy that way. they like to 'hunt and pick' dirt, pebbles, bugs....and roll in the dirt!

I had a outside run about 8X12 feet and once they pecked it clean they would squack out of boredom...(transplanting the dandilions didnt work LOL) so I added some extra footage on the other side (kinda gives them '2 play yards') and that has pleased them I think, when they get bored they venture over to their 'other yard' and peck around over there. LOL

silly birds!

good luck!

 

[RendonRoo]

Maybe some cherry tomatoes outside the run. They can have the ones that grow close enough for them to reach and you can have the rest. Haven't tried it yet but read where someone had some success with this. Good luck and welcome to BYC

 

[danielbrown]

What do you have for ventilation?


Chickens will also eat the bugs that eat your garden, and any other small critter they can.