Question about plants around the coop.

[Billyj]

When it warms up, I am wanting to plant some vines of some sort to spruce up the old henhouse. I saw a something somewhere saying what was toxic to the chickens. After about ht 1st 90 pages and still only on the C's, I quit. So here is my question. What plants/vines do you have around your coops? I know the chickens will end eating flowers, so I am wanting to stick more to the vine type plants. I live in South Carolina so i want something that work well in winter as well as summer. Thanks for your help.

 

[Wifezilla]

If they are poisonous, the chickens just wont eat them. If you plant something too tasty they will just eat it to the ground.
Scarlet runner beans might work for you. They are very pretty and grow like mad.

 

[ErieSpurs]

Honeysuckle might work well too. And it would make the coop smell nicer

 

[SandyK]

I have some wild raspberries growing on the outside of my fence. They do eat the leaves up to where they can reach, but they can still live because lots of the vine is outside of their reaching area. I plan on planting some clover or rye grass that will continue to grow. Experimenting will be best to see what will give them a treat and last too. I also have a few small trees that we left in their run. They love jumping up a eating the leaves they can reach.

 

[sashurlow]

Honeysuckle is a very invasive vine. Its not native either, so find a native vine that won't take over your yard, bushes, trees, your neighbors yard, bushes, trees, your neighborhoods, etc, etc...

 

[WadeMD]

English ivy is supposed to work well. It looks pretty good and serves as an all-year windbreak - the only problem is keeping it in place (not that hard to do with regular pruning).

 

[Uzuri]

Quote:
I second not planting Honeysuckle. I've spent the last 5 years of my life attempting to clear that stuff from all the places it plants itself. It out-competes everything, kills the dogwoods, sumacs, wild roses, etc -- around here it even out competes another nasty invasive, multiflora rose.

I actually suggest an edible -- try blackberry or raspberry. If well-maintained, they're pretty, and you and the chickens can eat them quite happily

Climbing roses might work as well (but protect them early on to keep them from being dug up).

 

[Moxiechick]

I'm thinking of planting trailing/vining nasturtiums in a window box, on the coop I'm planning to build this spring. Nasturtiums are edible by humans, so I think they'd be good for the chickens. The plant's base will be up out of reach, but the chickens should be able to nibble on the trailing bits as it grows.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Be very careful in your choice. Some fast growing vines are very invasive. Several years ago, we had the same idea, alittle shade & the beauty of vines over the coop. Pepper vine is what we chose.

It's leaves are green, yellow, & pink. Beautifil plant! Well.... it took over EVERYTHING! We cut & dug & poisoned for 3 years! Pepper vine became known as "Devil vine from hell" around here.

 

[possumqueen]

In the summer -- sunflowers! They come in all sizes from 2 feet to 8 or 10 feet! Lots of shade, and seeds for the girls.

The only problem with sunflowers is that you can't plant them two years in a row -- the sunflowers don't like it. But for every other year, you can't beat 'em.

I'm with wifezilla -- beans would be cool looking, and the girls would keep the bugs off of them.

Ivy and honeysuckle are both very invasive! But you might try mint. It's invasive, but only on the ground, and it has an added benefit of repelling pests. I used to plant it around my dog's pen, and there were no fleas there.