Shade trees/shrubs ideas for run?

[cindyanne1]

My husband got the run/pasture fenced in yesterday and my only complaint about it is that there just isn't a whole lot of shade. There's shade from the chicken house building itself, but I'd like to plant about four trees or shrubs in there too and I'd like some ideas. Something that the chickens wouldn't bother too much and that would start to provide shade pretty quickly. I'm thinking shrubs might be better than trees... or a mixture of trees and shrubs.

The only ones my husband has absolutely vetoed (due to the location of the septic) are willow trees and Rose of Sharon. I'll be honest; he doesn't like the idea of me planting anything that big back there because he's paranoid about the roots getting into the septic... but it's a good 20 feet away so ??

So... any ideas?

 

[darkmatter]

I recommend the Illinois everbearing Mulberry trees, They drop mulberries to the chickens for over a 12 week period vs the native wild mulberries which only last 2 weeks. You can also plant Apple trees as the chickens like the windfalls plus keep the bugs in the orchard reduced. I've included persimmons to keep free food dropping down even past frost date. For a annual food source, plant tomatoes in tall wire cages---they will grow up and over the cage dropping fruit to the chickens til frost.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Find a gardening guide that gives full descriptions for the trees that are common in your area. For those in the west, Sunset is fabulous, but I don't think they make a guide for the midwest.

Dave's Garden Plantfiles (www.davesgarden.com) is a good source, but you'll have to already know some of the trees and bushes that grow in your area. Look for ones that do not have invasive roots. Fash growing is good. You can also consider some vines that will cover wire and shade the coop & run.

Personally I recommend trees because they filter the heat and light out so much higher than shrubs. But bushy shrubs are good at blocking low angle (early morning/late afternoon) sun.

 

[detali]

And if you absolutely can't plant trees. Then cover your run with shade cloth. You can get that at any garden supply store or online.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Check out Gurney's

http://gurneys.com/trees-and-windbreaks/c/5/

I've gotten the mulberry's, windbreak willow's and hybrid Poplar. I've been very happy with them. You can get some pretty good deals too.

 

[cmom]

I have a apple tree in my birds yard. They love the apples that fall.

 

[Gwen]

I went to the nursery to look at trees and shrubs for my coop/run for this same purpose. I can't remember which ones the owner recommended to me! But I do know that chickens seem to leave hydrangeas alone (I would put a little wire fence around them until they got established) and lots of other pretty shrubs.

I do like the above idea of having things that drop fruits for the chickens.