Treats to grow inside the run?

[Fuhoo]

Any tips or ideas on what herbs I can grow inside the run? I've got a corner that gets an okay amount of sunlight, and with my climate it never quite gets cold.
There's already a few trees in the run, but I figured it'd be nice to grow something with soft leaves for the girls to peck at

I've got a few Rosemary plants, decently sized (45-60cm), going in pots and a few Mints and Thymes that are doing okay but are still relatively small. I can also start something else and plant it there once it's sized.
Any thoughts or suggestions on this?

 

[NatJ]

The chickens will probably kill anything you try to grow in there, unless it is big and sturdy like a tree.

But if you grow something and then move it in, they will happily eat it as long as it lasts (until they kill it.) Or you can start something inside the run, but protect it with wire mesh until it get established, then let them eat it. Planting it just outside the run can sometimes work too, so the chickens eat the parts that reach in through the fence but cannot kill the whole plant.

Things like grass, lettuce, or cabbage might be good, or vining things like peas or beans, or anything else with leaves that are edible to a chicken.

 

[laboroflove]

This may sound strange but I plan on putting a rose bush or two in my chicken yard. It will need to be protected until it is grown enough but the chickens love to eat roses! I thought about, and researched, planting herbs in my run too but decided against it due to the chickens killing it over thyme I will be planting some OUTSIDE the run so they can still eat some that grow through the fencing as mentioned above. That seems the safest route.

I also just purchased some fruit trees to grow right outside their fence as well (shade/protection and fruit that we don’t get when it falls).

One very important note: protect the roots with chicken wire (then mulch) or some type of fencing so the chickens can’t scratch through and kill the roots/plant.

 

[SueT]

They will usually destroy plants in the run, either intentionally or inadvertently by digging, unless there’s a LOT of room per chicken and you get plenty of rain. Even then, if they like it, they will probably decimate it. You can protect individual plants with little fences around and they will eat what they can reach. The above advice about planting it just outside the fence is good too.
I don’t know what herbs they like, but we had a volunteer Thai basil plant in the run one year and they didn’t eat it. We had a volunteer tomato that we protected and the chickens harvested the tomatoes, but they began tearing them off when green too.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Agree that growing anything IN the run that isn't in a cage can be tricky. For things like small trees, once established you can put large, flat rocks (or logs) around the base so they can't dig up the roots.

I grow mint around my run....less for them to eat (mine don't seem to enjoy it), but more to pretty up the area, repel flies, and I often break off sprigs and put them in the coop to help with odors and maybe repel critters.

I have three peach trees that I planted in my run last year. They're all in welded wire fence rings until they get bigger, but hoping they enjoy soaking up chicken compost in place, while providing the flock with a snack when fruit falls off the tree. Time will tell!

 

[StinkyAcres]

If you build a grazing box you can plant things like barley, wheat, and sunflower shoots for them to trim the tops off of. That's what I am planning to do this year.

 

[Rose_adamaj]

If you build a grazing box you can plant things like barley, wheat, and sunflower shoots for them to trim the tops off of. That's what I am planning to do this year.

What is a grazing box?
I am planning a small greenhouse to keep some plants growing that the ladies like. They Can have fresh plants in the winter.

 

[NatJ]

What is a grazing box?

A way to grow plants in the chicken run without the chickens killing the plants.
It is like a wood box around all 4 sides of the plants, with wire mesh on top. The chickens can walk on top, but can only eat the parts of the plants that are tall enough to stick up through the mesh. The roots and lower parts of the plants are safe under the mesh. Sun and rain can also go through the mesh, so the plants grow just fine.

Here is an article with a few pictures:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/grazing-frames.73645/

Here is a post that has some pictures:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/show-me-your-pallet-projects.1541562/page-131#post-26890435

 

[Rose_adamaj]

A way to grow plants in the chicken run without the chickens killing the plants.
It is like a wood box around all 4 sides of the plants, with wire mesh on top. The chickens can walk on top, but can only eat the parts of the plants that are tall enough to stick up through the mesh. The roots and lower parts of the plants are safe under the mesh. Sun and rain can also go through the mesh, so the plants grow just fine.

Here is an article with a few pictures:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/grazing-frames.73645/

Here is a post that has some pictures:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/show-me-your-pallet-projects.1541562/page-131#post-26890435

Thank you, I need this. A couple would be perfect. Wait until my husband hears about this! Isn’t it nice of me to help him keep busy
Now can you help me figure out what a ‘woot’ is

 

[NatJ]

Now can you help me figure out what a ‘woot’ is

I just assumed it meant happy excitement. If it has a more specific meaning, I don't know what it is.