Shade for coop runs

[MaryK]

I am looking for vine plants ideas that are safe to grow up on sides of fencing for my runs. We are located SE GA where temps have been high 90's & low 100's. I'm trying to shade where their water is and shade for the runs also. Since I get a few escapies vines must be chicken safe. Any ideas?

MaryK
SE GA
Isa Browns--Eggs for eating
Buff Orpingtons, RIR & Aracaunas-Breeders

 

[oldchickenlady]

I don't know of any vine that the chickens aren't going to tear up and eat. I would use shade cloth or a bamboo shade maybe.

 

[Jenski]

We are growing grapes (Cayuga) and thornless blackberries (Arapaho) up the sides of my bantam pen. They are fast-growing - - and delicious, LOL! I have trained them up the outside of the pen, and even allowed a couple of shoots to train up the inside so the girls can jump for a few berries and grapes. They provide nice shade in the heat of summer, and allow the sun through in the winter.

I also have some herbs and other edible plants outside the pen, some of which provide shade. Fennel is one that grows large here - - 6 feet! Cilantro gets pretty big, too. We do use a shade tarp over the pen roof in summer, however, as what I am growing does not really cover the top (yet).

Hope that helps. Good luck!

 

[welasharon]

I'm in North Florida with the heat and high humidity as well. Mine is built under an arbor but the vines are not reliable enough for shade nor rain coverage so I nailed a tarp over the top and will just replace it every year or so. The vines that do grow up there help hide it so it is not ugly!