Tree/Shrub for chickens in yard

[Jaypown]

Hi All,
New chicken owner here. I have 6 pullets that are about 19 weeks old. I have a 4x12 enclosed covered run for them but when I'm home, I let them free range in the yard. I do have a fenced in yard so no issues there. My yard is small (less than quarter acre) and I currently have a 20' White Pine tree in the back that they absolutely love hanging out under. The tree is dying from a beetle from the top down so I want to cut it down but looking for suggestions on what I can plant to replace it and give the girls something similar.

I live in Northeast Ohio so we get cold winters, plenty of snow and then 90 degree summers. The spot is mostly full sun. I think it would be fun/cool to have something like a cold hardy palm or something unique but I'm open to suggestions. Maximum height is not an issue but I don't really want something that will get more than 6-8' wide.

I'm open to suggestions!

Justin

 

[DobieLover]

The width is an extremely limiting factor. I would plant a shrub or shrub arrangement instead of a tree. They offer better aerial predator protection. I have a large perennial grass, a nine bark, an arrowood viburnum and some sedum in an arrangement that is now probably 15' in diameter. But at least 20 birds could take cover in there and you can't even see them. It is also higher sought after during extreme heat because it offers dense shade.

Wait until this fall before planting. After planting and mulching with wood chips I would cover all the mulch with chicken wire and pin it down with heavy duty landscape staples. This will prevent the chickens from scratching up the roots and killing the shrubs as they try to get established.

The first year you may even want to fence off the shrubs to give them a chance to really get growing before the chickens get at them. They can be very hard on newly planted nursery stock. I also suggest you get the largest plants you can find and water them weekly with a start right solution to help establish their roots and get some vigorous growth going. My flock uprooted a 5 ft blue point juniper so I had to move it out of their pen to someplace safer.

Another fast-growing shrub that gets quite dense that would do good in your area is a dappled willow. I have a row of them as a privacy screen between my home and the neighbors. I love it.

 

[ella2025]

I agree with Dobielover that shrubs would be better to protect against hawks. I honestly don't know many shrubs, but if you're looking for a smallish tree you could get a (or a few) dwarf fruit trees. You could also plant some trees/shrubs with edible berries (ie currants, blueberries, honey berries, serviceberries) so that the chickens can eat fallen fruit. Make sure to protect the plants for a few years for them to get growing.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I second DobieLover’s shrub recommendation, and also ella’s small tree.

Maybe a serviceberry (beautiful fall color!!), which is often multi-trunked like an open shrub, and at least one forsythia for the shrubs. It’s a lovely draping plant when not chopped into lollipop shapes.

I used to hide and read in a little cave formed by three forsythias, and if a gangly fifth-grader can hide under them, so can chickens.

 

[KyCoop]

I have 2 dogwood bushes that would be massive if I didn't have to keep them trimmed up. Very dense, good cover.
Girls love them.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I had this same problem recently and looked for native bushes and shrubs and ended up with a serviceberry, oakleaf hydrangeas and an elderberry. So far the chickens haven’t killed them and they used them for cover between their coop and their little forest grotto which is mostly small shrubs and bushes I have to stoop to get under

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I had this same problem recently and looked for native bushes and shrubs and ended up with a serviceberry, oakleaf hydrangeas and an elderberry. So far the chickens haven’t killed them and they used them for cover between their coop and their little forest grotto which is mostly small shrubs and bushes I have to stoop to get under

That’s a great combo! All natives (at least to eastern North America) - you should draw pollinators as well as chickens.