Planting shrubs for chickens

[New Chicken Lad]

Hello Everyone!!!

This is my first time posting. I have been stalking, er I mean reading, on this site for approximately 6 months now (since I first got my girls). I have literally learned everything I know about chickens from this site. THANK YOU ALL!!! And, one note ~ I am New Chicken Lady not New Chicken Lad (made a typo upon registration, waiting for support to change), anyway...

I want to plant some shrubs in my girls 'fenced in area' where they free range and play all day. I want them to have something to hide under to get shade. I want them to be fast growing. I want them to be a native species of north america, particularly east coast. I've checked all the lists of toxic and posionous plants. I know to look for something that is NOT deer resistant. So, I've decided on Southern Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera). What do you all think? Is this a good option?

Thanks much, Helen

p.s. picture of my girls, taken early february this year!!!

 

[Kikiriki]

I like wax myrtles: they are not particulary lovely, but they do well here in Central Florida. The berries can be boiled to collect the wax that coats them and it has a smell I like: kinda like balsam. They used to do this for candle making. I wrote in another thread about the Hawaiian Ti Plant: keep it in a pot that you can overwinter indoors, then in spring take the pot out to the coop. No, it is not CONUS native, but it is a old plant in Hawaii that is deeply entwined in their culture. It is totally safe for around the chickens, and it can be used for food for the family. The red variety is so beautiful! Makes a nice break from green in low light areas.

 

[cstronks]

How large is your free-range area. SWM can get very, very large. I've seen them up to 20 feet high in some cases, and they can expand as well. If you have a run that has capacity for it, then go ahead, but something smaller might be better. Spicebush can produce a ton of foraging fruit, but I'm not sure the NJ climate can sustain them. Have you looked into a wild strawberry patch? They offer great ground cover as well as small, sweet fruits. A friend of mine has a nice size patch and they can be excellent for foraging.

 

[New Chicken Lad]

Kikiriki > Thanks much for your reply and suggestion. Too much work for me to plant something and have to dig up and overwinter in house, plus the big leaves kinda creep me out

... As my son tells me, I have 'issues'!!! Thanks again. Helen

 

[New Chicken Lad]

cstronks > Thank you for your reply. As far as the size of the free range area, it's approximately 40' x 20'. I know the SWM can get very large, but I'm looking at buying 2.25 gallon shrubs offered at Lowes... Was thinking I would prune them or wack them back to keep them in check. Can you tell me which species of SpiceBush you are referring to? When I google, I see two different types: Lindera benzoin or Calycanthus?? As far as the wild strawberry plant, I'm not looking so much for a ground cover or for anything they might want to eat (believe me, they eat very very very well). I want something for them to sit under, hide in, run thru etc.

My yard is completely open to the sun, and while they can always go in the run of their coop, or behind their coop, or under the large wooden adirondack loveseat to get out of the sun, I was looking for a naturalizing shrub/tree that wouldn't harm the chickens and wouldn't necessarily attrack the natural wildlife that I have here. I live in northern jersey, acreas of wooded area behind my home, common wildlife that roam around are black bears, deer, wild turkeys, fox, raccoon, skunk, opposum, supposidly mountain lions have made their way back (we have not seen) and my husband swears he saw a mink a few days back. The free range area is fenced with electric fencing and we have absolutely seen the bear, deer, raccoon and skunk touch the fence and not be happy---> left on their own accord and didn't come back.

Anywho, sorry about the novel.. Am very interested the the SpiceBush, if you could clarify which you may have referring to.
Thanks again, Helen

 

[Kikiriki]

You can keep a wax myrtle pruned low. Try to get one with multiple stems branching low. You can also prune it like a small tree if you keep cutting the low branches, but once you do that it will not take reshaping back to a shrub very well. Gets scraggly looking. They like light: my mom's were natural that started under cover of bigger trees, but then once they got going they spread out horizontally in their reach for light. they do not have a long life, so in about five years you should plant a new one.

 

[Kikiriki]

PS nice egg!

 

[New Chicken Lad]

Kikiriki > your info is great... the wax mrytle sounds like exactly what I want. I'm ok with having to prune it -or- replace it within 5 or so years. thanks bunches, Helen

A really big egg and a really little egg.........

 

[Kikiriki]

I did not say that well... You don't have to replace it after five years, but if you plant a new one after five years then in 10 years you can cut out the old one and still have a plant going that will provide cover. After 10 years they get leggy and kind of sloppy looking. However, I will add that this was in my Mom's yard: she had horrible soil and these were wild plants that were never fertilized. Yours might look better! I have found it very helpful to drive around and look for plants in neighbors yards that I like, or just talk to them if they have one doing better than mine.

Just thought I would show you the ti plant. It can stay in a pot, you would not have to dig it up and repot it every year...i would never suggest someone work that hard for a plant, lol!

 

[New Chicken Lad]

I did not say that well... You don't have to replace it after five years, but if you plant a new one after five years then in 10 years you can cut out the old one and still have a plant going that will provide cover. After 10 years they get leggy and kind of sloppy looking. However, I will add that this was in my Mom's yard: she had horrible soil and these were wild plants that were never fertilized. Yours might look better! I have found it very helpful to drive around and look for plants in neighbors yards that I like, or just talk to them if they have one doing better than mine.

Just thought I would show you the ti plant. It can stay in a pot, you would not have to dig it up and repot it every year...i would never suggest someone work that hard for a plant, lol!