Plants for around the coop?

[XanderWiFi]

Our chickens love herb mixes and lavender my wife grows and throws in their coop! Easy to grow too!

 

[CDA15]

The boxes are gorgeous!!
I say Lavender & Thyme which are evergreen & edible, good for respiratory health.
Oregano is supposed to help with cocci. Mint for repelling mice/rats. My girls **love** chocolate mint.
Lemon balm helps ward off mosquitoes.
Nasturtium is a great laying stimulant & de-wormer.
Marigolds are also insect repellent & make yolks turn bright orange with beta carotene
Hope that helps!
Then you can throw any trimmings from these plants to the girls!

Those sound like great suggestions and I love that they are dual purpose. Thank you!

 

[CDA15]

Your coop and run look lovely! Such a pretty property!
I am not sure that perennials would overwinter in shallow boxes....
Herbs would be nice and nasturtium would add color. Marigolds would be great too.
I don't have too much around my coop right now but in other planters I have thyme, oregano, parsley, rosemary, mint, and basil. I also grow lavender, marigolds, and yarrow for the girls. I'm going to put some of those things in pots and grow them under lights in my basement this winter.
With all the deer, rabbits, and woodchucks we have here a big garden is a real chore so I've downgraded to planters on my deck---when we lived in a less-wildlife-populated area I loved my raised beds and did lots of veggies. I do miss them but not the work involved!
I'm sorry to be a downer here but I do believe daffodils can be toxic to chickens---very pretty (I have tons in my front garden) but might not be a good thing to have near your girls. Okay if they can't get to them, but I wouldn't chance it.
No big veggie garden anymore but this is my herb planter---downsizing in my old age!View attachment 1103037

Oh I love your herb planter. Nice mix of green and color. Hubs is our gardener, it's his way of de-stressing after a long week. Thank you for the suggestions!

 

[Folly's place]

Daffodils are toxic, and so is yarrow, but given that the planters are outside, and when accessible during free ranging, the chickens will ignore them. Mary

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

Daffodils are toxic, and so is yarrow, but given that the planters are outside, and when accessible during free ranging, the chickens will ignore them. Mary

I haven't seen anything that says yarrow is toxic to chickens.
All I can find is stuff like this:
(Not wanting to quarrel---just want to get things right and be safe)

http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2013/06/the-benefits-of-yarrow-for-your-chickens.html

 

[Folly's place]

Nobody eats either plant here, because there are many other choices. I doubt that there's any data on poultry eating yarrow beyond that 'hopeful hearsay' stuff. It's been used in herbal medicine as an abortifacient, which isn't much of a recommendation, IMO. The good news is that your birds won't eat it unless there's no other choice. Mary

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

Nobody eats either plant here, because there are many other choices. I doubt that there's any data on poultry eating yarrow beyond that 'hopeful hearsay' stuff. It's been used in herbal medicine as an abortifacient, which isn't much of a recommendation, IMO. The good news is that your birds won't eat it unless there's no other choice. Mary

Yikes.
I guess I will be rethinking the yarrow!
Thanks, Mary!

 

[Folly's place]

When we moved here, the previous owners had a strip of yarrow 50'x4' next to the house. It was pretty, but I dug it all out. Too much of a 'not so good' thing! Since then it pops up in my fields/ pastures, and nobody eats it. Including me. Mary

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

Okay....I have two yellow yarrow plants in pots. I guess I will have to find a place for them away from the chicken run.

 

[Folly's place]

It will seed itself at random, like it did here. Mary