safe plants for surrounding coop?!

[Chickie'sMoma]

are there any 'safe' plants that can be planted outside the coop but still close enough that the chickens wouldn't get sick from? i know that you shouldn't plant stuff like morning glories or trumpet vines. i was thinking about doing some grape vines and climbing roses since i have lots of those around i can take cuttings or transplant. the problem we have up north with grapes is even if the variety is supposed to be seedless the grapes will still produce seeds since the weather gets cold here.

but i also wanted something that would help to buffer the sounds of the roos so the neighbors wouldn't mind the crowing if they heard it. i'm planning on getting some plants to border our properties and i'm thinking of bushes and shrubs for that. if anyone knows of some good plants that are effective i would really like to know!

 

[san415]

Emerald Green Arborvitae, They grow tall and slender. If you get Emerald Green Arborvitae they get about 12' to 14' tall, with a spread of about 3 to 4', they only grow about 2 to3 feet per year and if you plant alot of them and you start with small ones, they will end up different heights most of the time. So start with the tallest you can. More sunlight and water makes taller shrubs. They need enough water the first year or wont make it through the winter. They can be pruned in the spring if you need or want them shorter. Evergreen shrubs block sound the best and they do it all year round.

 

[Erin7Young]

Emerald Green Arborvitae, They grow tall and slender. If you get Emerald Green Arborvitae they get about 12' to 14' tall, with a spread of about 3 to 4', they only grow about 2 to3 feet per year and if you plant alot of them and you start with small ones, they will end up different heights most of the time. So start with the tallest you can. More sunlight and water makes taller shrubs. They need enough water the first year or wont make it through the winter. They can be pruned in the spring if you need or want them shorter. Evergreen shrubs block sound the best and they do it all year round.

I have a question about Aborvitae trees. We are trying to figure out the placement of the coop. Can the concentration of the nitrogen from the chicken coop harm the roots and the tree if the tree is planted too close the the coop. The tree itself would not be touching the coop, there is a fence on one side to separate that part of the yard. I should mention that the trees are slightly up hill from where I want to put the coop so any drainage would be away from the trees. We live in the Northeast and the coop would get a lot of poop in the winter before I can get out there in the spring and water the dirt down and turn the soil inside. I would be able to clean the chicken house out in the winter, but the soil would be frozen. This is the only location that works for us, just wondering about our arborvitae trees. Thank you!!

 

[Erin7Young]

I have a question about Aborvitae trees. We are trying to figure out the placement of the coop. Can the concentration of the nitrogen from the chicken coop harm the roots and the tree if the tree is planted too close the the coop. The tree itself would not be touching the coop, there is a fence on one side to separate that part of the yard. I should mention that the trees are slightly up hill from where I want to put the coop so any drainage would be away from the trees. We live in the Northeast and the coop would get a lot of poop in the winter before I can get out there in the spring and water the dirt down and turn the soil inside. I would be able to clean the chicken house out in the winter, but the soil would be frozen. This is the only location that works for us, just wondering about our arborvitae trees. Thank you!!

 

[Saveria]

Welcome to BYC.

I am not an arborvitae expert, but I think it would be fine. The dropping would have to percolate all the way down to the roots en masse, and by that point it will be either diluted or composted, I would think. Aren't they are a popular plant because they are easy/hardy? If so, I think they would take something like that in stride.

I would put shavings on the droppings every couple days in the winter, it helps them to compost faster and keeps it cleaner for the chickens (maybe you already do?). The droppings/shavings mix comes out of our winter run looking almost composted, somehow. Maybe the moisture from the ground when there are any thaws. We usually let it sit somewhere to finish, then that material is a great fertilizer.