plants in/around coop

[lily1]

What plants are good for shade in/around the coop that the chickens wont eat? They love to find shady spots under things to hide in the spring, but once my garden is in and I have them cooped up I feel bad, that while they have ample space it is barren. Just looking to make the run more homey

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
They don't bother my boxwoods, ornamental grasses, dusty millers or the marigolds:

However, they DO enjoy certain varieties of hosta (just stalks remaining on the right in this picture):

 

[mcostas]

tag for ideas

 

[franklinchickens]

My chickens eat everything except for a couple of herbs (marjoram, chives & curry plants). They ate every succulent, daylily, shrub, etc. we planted near and on their coop (we did a green roof). Next year we will be replanting the green roof and screening it off. They ate my tomato plants, sweet potato plants, strawberry plants. Voracious. Now all of our garden beds are screened in and/or in the front or side of the house. Good luck!
Also, interestingly, I threw some basil in there the other day and they didn't touch that - thought they might enjoy it when we pruned. Nope. So I'm thinking herbs might be the way to go. Now that I think about it - they didn't touch our garlic plants either.
Interesting that they didn't eat the marigolds - I didn't try those as we don't usually bother with annuals but they look pretty!

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

i feed my girls marigolds-both flowers and the plants when branches break off. so for mine marigolds would be out of the question to plant really close to the run area. i also have mints but they only eat that on rare occasion and usually when i hand feed it to them.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
We took down the fence on our garden a few weeks ago b/c it's mostly finished (except for some parsley, sage and ONE pumpkin!). The chickens FINALLY discovered that there are good pickins in there and I snapped a shot of them nibbling away today:

edited to add: I actually planted the marigolds near my coop HOPING the girls would eat the flowers and make their yolks a brilliant orange color, but they have NO interest in them. Go figure!

 

[ZombieChickens]

Dozengirlz, very pretty! Color me jealous!

Lily, have you looked into non-toxic climbing plants?

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
Thanks! I'd love to know what kind of climbing plants you're referring to b/c I have been interested in adding something to climb up the side and roof of my run. What do you recommend for our climate (PA/CT?)?

 

[ZombieChickens]

I have no idea. We have planted Hyacinth Bean plants and morning glory in my yard, but not in my coop. I don't know if they're non-toxic. The Hyacinth beans are beautiful. They have purple vines, greenish-purple leaves and bloom purple flowers that turn into edible beans. They would be GREAT shade. You just have to look into the plant its self to see if it's toxic.

 

[jeb251]

grapes are good, they like them including the leaves but the trunks are to tough for them to destroy also they provide shade and when the grapes get ripe it very entertaining watching them jump up to get them, I have even seen the fly into the plant and try to get them that way