Plants for new chicken coop

[kaylad1993]

Hello, I have just started building my new chicken coop and I’m looking for plants/trees to be planting along/in the coop. I’m also building a garden around the outskirts of the coop. What plants are hardy enough (drought tolerant) that are not poisonous to the chickens?

 

[3KillerBs]

You will not be able to grow anything inside the coop unless you enclose it in a chicken-proof cage. They'll wipe out ever scrap of green and dig up the roots.

Here's an article about a Chicken Proof Garden: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-proof-garden.49026/?page=2#ams-comment-259258

And a list of safe plants: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-safe-plants.65750/

 

[BDutch]

Its not true that you can’t grow anything in a run. But you need to consider these ‘rules’:

• The run has to be big enough with healthy soil and lots of living space for you're chickens
• The run must not be covered with a roof and you must not live in a desert or you have to water a lot.
• Plants the chickens like to eat have little chance and tasty bushes must be protected for a few years.
• poisoness plants are no hazard if the chickens always have acces to good food. Sane chickens don’t eat them.

This was my run last autumn where barley even had a chance to sprout (now its all gone again).
There are a currant, a gooseberry , a rieberry and a cherry laurel in the run and I keep them small and beneath the netting.

There is also a container with grass and herbs in the run with hwc on top to prevent scratching.
Edit: photo’s

 

[CluckerFamily]

You could plant herbs, grass or other plants in pots and bring them into the run and switch them out with others.
Where do you live?
If you live where mosquitoes are, lavender is something to plant around the run/coop. Lavender repels mosquitoes.

 

[aart]

Hello, I have just started building my new chicken coop and I’m looking for plants/trees to be planting along/in the coop. I’m also building a garden around the outskirts of the coop. What plants are hardy enough (drought tolerant) that are not poisonous to the chickens?

Some pics of what you're building would help here.

Oh, and.... Welcome to BYC! @kaylad1993
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hello, I have just started building my new chicken coop and I’m looking for plants/trees to be planting along/in the coop. I’m also building a garden around the outskirts of the coop. What plants are hardy enough (drought tolerant) that are not poisonous to the chickens?

I have rosemary, oregano and thyme planted in my chickens run along with pomegranate trees. My chickens love to sit under the rosemary bush because I have it trimmed like an umbrella. I also have planted mint around their run and when they scratch at it, it releases a very nice scent of mint

 

[K0k0shka]

I have an established forsythia bush in my run. The run had a roof over it for most of last year, but the bush was close to the fence so it must have gotten enough water from the other side, because it did fine without being watered. The chickens ate whatever leaves they could reach, but the bush is 8 feet tall so it has plenty left to live on. I haven't had any problems with the chickens digging at the roots. I did, however, have an unexpected problem with the chickens eating the bark of the stems and lower branches (WTF?!?) in the winter. I had to put chicken wire around the base of the bush to protect it. It remains to be seen if the poor bush will survive the damage, but it has buds now so maybe it's okay? The chickens LOVE hiding under it in the summer for shade and protection. I would recommend putting chicken wire around the base of anything woody you plant in there. I never thought chickens would eat bark, but here we are...

 

[cgaylemedders]

Hello, I have just started building my new chicken coop and I’m looking for plants/trees to be planting along/in the coop. I’m also building a garden around the outskirts of the coop. What plants are hardy enough (drought tolerant) that are not poisonous to the chickens?

I have mosquito issues...so I plant - varieties of thyme, oregano, basil, lemon balm, marigolds, etc around the coop to control the mosquitoes and flies...in other pot, i plant greens in stages that get moved into the runs to be destroyed and replanted.

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

I have mosquito issues...so I plant - varieties of thyme, oregano, basil, lemon balm, marigolds, etc around the coop to control the mosquitoes and flies...in other pot, i plant greens in stages that get moved into the runs to be destroyed and replanted.

What kinds of greens?

 

[cgaylemedders]

What kinds of greens?

This time of year we pot sheep sorrel, wild lettuce, crab grasses, wild clover, romaine, arugula, spinach, collard greens (they love the young tender ones)...