The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lazy gardener]

I've been debating what to plant around the base of my run. (besides the weeds that are getting a strong foot hold now. I had settled on: daylillies, mint, and oregano. May tuck in some lemon balm also, if I find some growing on the lawn. I figure that something will grow there, so it might as well be useful stuff instead of weeds. Hope to leave the ground directly in front of the coop bare, so I can peek under there as needed to check on the status... chickens like to hang out under there. Occasionally, an egg will fall out of a chicken butt under there... or a new layer will have an oops egg.

 

[armorfirelady]

I've been debating what to plant around the base of my run.  (besides the weeds that are getting a strong foot hold now.  I had settled on:  daylillies, mint, and oregano.  May tuck in some lemon balm also, if I find some growing on the lawn.  I figure that something will grow there, so it might as well be useful stuff instead of weeds.  Hope to leave the ground directly in front of the coop bare, so I can peek under there as needed to check on the status... chickens like to hang out under there.  Occasionally, an egg will fall out of a chicken butt under there... or a new layer will have an oops egg.  

Pumpkins work well also. They like to lay under the big leaves. The only downfall is when the pumpkins start to grow the hens packed at them. But hey they plant most of the pumpkins in the garden anyways so I guess they can eat them before they are ripe to.

I've also planted citronella around the coop also. The only downfall is that it's not a perineal. Hostess are hardy but my girls eat them. I'm trying for perennials so once they are planted I don't have to worry about them anymore

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I have upright rosemary on one side of the coop, my coop is on bricks inside a raised garden area that is also fenced, so the rosemary acts as a screen, on the other sides some sort vine I can't remember species and passion flower/fruit vine, the two vines though die back. I have herbs in pots as well on the outside of the fenced garden/chicken area. Against the house inside the garden is hollyhocks.







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These are photos from different angles I took a while back, right now the vines are growing gang busters, and I have different veggies in the beds.

 

[lazy gardener]

Pumpkins work well also. They like to lay under the big leaves. The only downfall is when the pumpkins start to grow the hens packed at them. But hey they plant most of the pumpkins in the garden anyways so I guess they can eat them before they are ripe to.

I've also planted citronella around the coop also. The only downfall is that it's not a perineal. Hostess are hardy but my girls eat them. I'm trying for perennials so once they are planted I don't have to worry about them anymore

I LOVE citronella. I've kept a plant going for 3 years now, and have started multiple babies from it. I have a bag of dried leaves and occasionally toss a few into the nest boxes. I bought an orange scented geranium, and am working on starting a new cutting of that for the same purpose. Also, drying creeping charlie for nesting material. I hadn't thought about using pumpkins. Perhaps I'll plant a few zucchini on the west side of the run. They fruit fast. Still time for that. Thanks for the idea. They can also be trained to climb up by weaving the growing tip through a support.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I came across the idea of giving the birds Barely Water (from a 1709 Game Fowl Keeping, Breeding, Etc book) anyone here ever do that?

I have been researching Barely now and Barely Water, Barley seems to be controversial in some chicken circles because birds can have problems digesting depending on a few variables, but I researched it enough to know it is not "bad" for chickens or poultry per say, it just can not be their whole diet and how it is prepared or mixed with supplements (this need not be artificial supplements) makes a big difference in how effective a feed it is.

I found info on why Humans should drink Barely Water but pretty much a bust on chickens... but based on human info sounds like good advice at least during the summer, plus the barely used to make the water can then be fed to the birds or to humans.

 

[Molpet]

I LOVE citronella. I've kept a plant going for 3 years now, and have started multiple babies from it. I have a bag of dried leaves and occasionally toss a few into the nest boxes. I bought an orange scented geranium, and am working on starting a new cutting of that for the same purpose. Also, drying creeping charlie for nesting material. I hadn't thought about using pumpkins. Perhaps I'll plant a few zucchini on the west side of the run. They fruit fast. Still time for that. Thanks for the idea. They can also be trained to climb up by weaving the growing tip through a support.

wow something to do with creeping charlie

... anything else to use it for? the chickens do not eat it and it is taking over the place

 

[lazy gardener]

wow something to do with creeping charlie

... anything else to use it for? the chickens do not eat it and it is taking over the place

Interestingly enough, my young chicks LOVE creeping charlie! Crazy youngsters!! It makes a great ground cover/lawn!!! Good pollinator attractor. Smells nice when mowed.

 

[Molpet]

Interestingly enough, my young chicks LOVE creeping charlie! Crazy youngsters!! It makes a great ground cover/lawn!!! Good pollinator attractor. Smells nice when mowed.

my chickens and turkeys loved the grass plantain and other weeds..the areas the chickens visit the most are almost just creeping charlie and fake strawberries..I didn't mind it until it started creeping into the garden... the first year it found the garden I just kept putting mulch on top of it.. now it just creeps through the mulch and then pops up in a million places through the mulch..straw is the worst, it is hard to pull it out and not leave a root... same with the false strawberries, but the chickens like the berries.

 

[gevshiba]

Thought I'd share the mint growing outside my hoop coop. It was planted last year. Friends & family gave it to me when they dug it up from their yards. Apparently it approves of the coop. It's making a great natural weather barrier. I have the sides rolled up high & no longer need to put them down for storms. I'm hoping this year to get enough to put on the other side which is the side that gets most of the weather. I've also planted Lilly's on that side. My goal is to 3 get 3 aides covered naturally. The girls love to lay under the Lily's in front of my compost pile when it's hot out.

I planted cucumber, zucchini and yellow squash by my run. The cucumber is growing up a panel I leaned against the run. I'm hoping it will give them some good shade, as well as food.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@armorfirelady and @lazy gardener

On the citronella...AFL says it's not perennial but did LG say it has been perennial for you?