vegetation to climb pen perimeter mesh?

[The Duck Runner]

Afternoon Folks,
I'm just finishing off my new coop & pen. The pen is attached to a 8ftx8ft coop and is just under 20x20ft (8ft high) and covered with 1" (16g) mesh. It's looking great but as a late addition I was thinking of growing vegetation that would climb the mesh and to help to disguise the pen as well as giving the flock shade and something to find bugs in. I'm not worried if they eat the vegetation that intrudes into their pen.
So my question is...what do you suggest I should plant round the (outside) of the perimeter mesh? My first thoughts were ivy/sweetpeas/climbing roses, or maybe a crop like edible peas? I have space to plant a foot clear of the perimeter to allow the vegetation to establish. The soil is rich and never very dry.
Many thanks for any thoughts!
TDR

 

[boskelli1571]

Afternoon Folks,
I'm just finishing off my new coop & pen. The pen is attached to a 8ftx8ft coop and is just under 20x20ft (8ft high) and covered with 1" (16g) mesh. It's looking great but as a late addition I was thinking of growing vegetation that would climb the mesh and to help to disguise the pen as well as giving the flock shade and something to find bugs in. I'm not worried if they eat the vegetation that intrudes into their pen.
So my question is...what do you suggest I should plant round the (outside) of the perimeter mesh? My first thoughts were ivy/sweetpeas/climbing roses, or maybe a crop like edible peas? I have space to plant a foot clear of the perimeter to allow the vegetation to establish. The soil is rich and never very dry.
Many thanks for any thoughts!
TDR

Great idea - it will add some shade and cover to your coop ,but watch out for plants such as sweet peas - they are poisonous to chickens.
Here's a thread for you to look at:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/comprehensive-list-of-poisonous-plants-and-trees.627282/

 

[Ribh]

Passionfruit. Added bonus is the fruit. Another popular one out here is a choko vine. You may know it as Chayote or pear squash. Both are fast growers, the chooks like any fruit that falls in the pen & they are easy to trim back.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Grapes and Virginia creeper are fast growing vines that are safe with chickens.
Honeysuckle would be a good one too except their leaves are considered toxic to chickens. We have honeysuckle growing wild everywhere and they range through all the time scratching in the leaves the plant catches. The chickens don't pay any attention to it but if they are in a confined run boredom or curiosity may compel them to try it so best to avoid it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I do peas. Granted they only last from early spring to summer, but they grow quickly and they're edible. You can even harvest some peas for yourself as well.

 

[The Duck Runner]

Thanks Folks, I'm still trying to figure out what is poisonous to chickens!.. I only found out recently that sweet peppers are not good! Sweet peas now off the list!! I'll have a scan through the list Boskelli mentions.
When I harvest my edible peas I always give them a good share . Grapes won't grow outside here and I doubt passionfruit will either, I'll check out Chayote and pear squash, I've not heard of them.
Late thought : brambles/blackberries grow like demons here.
TDR

 

[boskelli1571]

Thanks Folks, I'm still trying to figure out what is poisonous to chickens!.. I only found out recently that sweet peppers are not good! Sweet peas now off the list!! I'll have a scan through the list Boskelli mentions.
When I harvest my edible peas I always give them a good share . Grapes won't grow outside here and I doubt passionfruit will either, I'll check out Chayote and pear squash, I've not heard of them.
Late thought : brambles/blackberries grow like demons here.
TDR

Chickens love berries -

 

[aart]

Don't plant a perennial that goes woody and may destroy your mesh and framing.

 

[paintedChix]

agree with Aart on that one. When we moved in we had open pasture, perimeter fenced, that i put fencing on. I used CP for interior fencing for separate groups of ponies. Now, we have wild (and VERY thorny) blackberries growing on those fences. I can't imagine them growing up/throw 1x1" mesh. UGH. We also have some other vines that I have not been able to identify and it is a major PITA. If it was vining over/thru lighter weight fencing, that would not work for us at all.

BUT - what about a trellis along your run ? Far enough off that whatever you have vining won't actually cross over to the mesh run. Maybe leave enough room to be able to walk between the trellis and your run. Or set up something heavier that can arch over your run for shade BUT you would need to be able to trim/prune anything that drapes down to the mesh run. Yes, having the trellis off the run fence means you have to pick/prune to provide for the chickens, but ultimately better than having to deal with heavy vines tearing up your run. Ask me how I know that, LOL!

Our property was partially beautiful and set up and partly unmaintained. The 4 "chicken pens" behind the house had a variety of vines growing thru the rusted mesh. I cut thru or broke wire when trying to remove all the different vines, got hurt a bunch too, as some of them were very thorny. When I put 8 Ameraucana in the one pen, they helped with the "deforestation" - except for the darned thorny things...

Have no idea what grows in Scotland! Please let us know what you plant and how it turns out.