Plants (in and around run)

[Aunt Tat]

I finally remembered I have photos of peas on the back of my run, they're grown in a small raised 4x4 bed. Not nearly as impressive or long lasting as a wall of luffa. The chickens can eat whatever leaves they can reach and I shuck excess peas and chuck them into the run to snack on.

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They'd have to fight me for the peas!!!

Where did you get their little activity gym? It's gorgeous!

 

[rosemarythyme]

They'd have to fight me for the peas!!!

Where did you get their little activity gym? It's gorgeous!

It's funny, I've only been to a TSC twice. First time there, I saw a kit for a jungle gym, my second trip was to go back and actually buy it.

It's weirdly rickety (like a prefab coop) yet stable at the same time. When we put it together hubby figured it would fall apart in a few weeks, but it's held up well enough, and the younger and more agile chickens especially like to get on the platforms or roost bars and groom themselves.

I find the highest platform handy for any solo chicken "clean up" activities like trimming around their vents, as it's just high enough for me to hold down a chicken by putting my non dominant arm over their back/wings.

 

[3KillerBs]

I shuck excess peas and chuck them into the run to snack on.

What is this strange thing called "excess peas"?

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I finally remembered I have photos of peas on the back of my run, they're grown in a small raised 4x4 bed. Not nearly as impressive or long lasting as a wall of luffa. The chickens can eat whatever leaves they can reach and I shuck excess peas and chuck them into the run to snack on.

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Nice! Glad u found this pic! I LUV that little jungle gym playset for the chickens! This is too cute!

 

[Acre4Me]

Here is the same area this year. We liked the gourds for shade so much we built a raised bed. This pic was taken 2 weeks ago, I think. Gourds already much bigger snd beginning to put out tendrils. They are annual, like a vegetable.

 

[rosemarythyme]

What is this strange thing called "excess peas"?

Well a few slip through the cracks here and there and then get big and tough. Or towards the end of the season I've pretty much lost interest in eating them. But the chickens are happy to have them so I just shell them on the spot and throw them in. I toss in the pods too (they won't eat them but it just becomes part of the litter).

 

[Mtnboomer]

Do you plant certain plants in your run?

what about trellising or climbing plants, do you let them grow up your run fencing?

I rotate juvenile birds through a run. Otherwise the adult flock is free ranged. I say "rotate" because at 4mos they are selected for harvest or to replace older birds. So the run sits vacant for about 3-4 mos btw the groups of pullets.

In that time i encourage anything and everything to grow. The birds have usually knocked all vegetation down to dirt level just about the time of harvest so it works out perfectly to allow it all some recovery time.

Wild or domestic grape would be excellent as a fence climber. It would provide shade, and snacks.

Plantings inside the run need to be chosen for their purpose, if its shade or food. Perennials and shrubs need root protection, especially for the 1st year. Exclusion cages are also great to protect the leaves and flowers from over consumption.
Greens like spinach, wheat, rye, etc should be started outside and brought in as a treat cause it will go like hotcakes!

 

[3KillerBs]

Well a few slip through the cracks here and there and then get big and tough. Or towards the end of the season I've pretty much lost interest in eating them. But the chickens are happy to have them so I just shell them on the spot and throw them in. I toss in the pods too (they won't eat them but it just becomes part of the litter).

I hope that one day I can have enough peas to get tired of them.

This year spring wet from soggy to drought to sudden heat and my peas went from flowers to overmature and dying from the 90+ heat in a matter of several days.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I hope that one day I can have enough peas to get tired of them.

Hubby doesn't like peas much at all, though he'll eat sugar snaps if I put them in front of him. Guess it doesn't help that I insist on growing peas every year.

Admittedly I'm almost more interested in the greens... pea greens are one of my favorites!

 

[Acre4Me]

update on the gourds for this year to shade the south side of the chicken run:


Growing Well!

From the left to the right, we have the following gourds growing:

1. Chinese Bottle *
2. Peru Sugar Bowl *
3. Ancona Rattle *
4. Corsican +
5. Large Bottle +
6. Luffa +

* indicates seeds came from Sandhill Preservation

+ indicates seeds came from Burpee packets

The largest plant in the pic is the Large Bottle from Burpee - it produces very large leaves. I just added some twine today to help with the climb to the fencing. I used small eyebolts on the raised bed, and then twine up to the fence and back through another eyebolt on the raised bed.