Plants around coop

[AngelaB]

What are some good plants to plant around a coop and run (in the spring) I wanted to make the area look a little nicer, and also for something for them to peck at when the plants gets a little bigger and they can reach.

 

[nwfl]

we tried many different plants. the only plants to survive around our coop and runs are native species that are not tasty. shrubs inside the runs are nibbled to nubbins if small and bare to jumping height. some azalea species are delicious too. you might want to try juniper and holly species not of the yaupon variety. there are lots of suggestions on many threads but we have to put mesh cages around plants we want to keep and fence them out of our gardens. good luck.

 

[can you hear me now?]

Lol you picked a tough question. Still can't keep any plants alive by my birds except stuff they won't eat. I look forward to seeing your answer too because I would like to know if there is something good to grow there too.

 

[gale65]

We planted a mulberry tree in the run (dug it up from our yard-we have tons of them growing wild) and will plant at least a couple more in the spring. We put chicken wire around it to keep them from killing it and will remove the chicken wire when it gets a little bigger. We're also planning to plant grapevines on the outside of the run in one area to provide more shade in the summer.

 

[colonel sander]

Grape vines are one that alot of people have said to plant. The chickens will still eat what they can reach though. I have planted a rose and a clamatis on the outside of there run. I plan on planting grasses and other things once spring rolls around this year. I have found that they will pretty much eat everything you have in your yard if you let them. Ours free ranged for a long time and I got tired of them trashing my yard. Like others have said thay are yard pirahnas

 

[chickeneyfoot]

I planted a thing of sunflower in one of the nests.

 

[kichohana]

I have daylilies outside my original run - they peck a bit at the leaves that make it through the hardware cloth, but not enough to damage the plants. On the outside of the extension run I built, I planted iris and dianthus (cheddar pinks). So far they have left them alone. The iris grow straight up and not out and into the run so I think they're safe. The dianthus are small and far enough away that the girls either can't reach them or they're just not interested in eating them.

I've been happy with the choices so far - they bloom and look nice all summer and are pretty low maintenance.

 

[AngelaB]

I was thinking of planting things in pots, that I can move. That way they can eat on it for a day or so, and then the plant can be moved a few inches away out of thier reach to "rest". lol