What plants survive around chickens and ducks?

[savingdogs]

I hope I'm posting this in the correct section.

We have given our chickens a giant pen and in a few months they have decimated every living thing in there. I have a large hillside I'd like to let them out onto, also some ducks we have just gotten, but don't want the whole area decimated of life as my HOUSE sits above this area and I don't want it floating downhill. For now I have them in their own pens, but what could I plant on this hillside that they would NOT eat and would NOT kill them and is attractive? I don't mind growing some things for them to eat as well but I need permanent plants in this area that have root systems. There are apple and pear trees already in this area but other than that currently there is just grass. Is there anything out there beautiful, low maintenance, fragrant and cheap? I know that is a tall order, but that is why I'm asking a really smart group of people, to see if anyone really bright out there has the answer for me. I live in a rainy climate but the soil is okay and the area is full sun. I need there to be something left when they eat all the grass and clover.

 

[pdsavage]

Well ducks and chickens will each eat diffrent things when free ranging,so its hard to say....

 

[math ace]

Mine eat everything or TRY to eat everything GREEN.

They eat Cilantro, brocolli plants and Collard Plants. They eat any weed I throw in there.

IF I stand stilll and am wearing open toe shoes, they try to eat my toes.

My chickens don't seem to like Yougurt, but then again you can't plant that !

 

[crazyhen]

Large trees that are already rooted well do ok. Other than that the density of the flock matters most. Gloria Jean

 

[lauriruth]

i've had good luck with Greek oregano, salvia greggii, lavendar. i actually tried to entice them to eat each of those plants and they looked at me like i was trying to poison them! they dig around and under all, but have'nt eaten it.

 

[sherrydeanne]

Mine never bother my rhododendron. Not super cheap but they're hardy and do grow quickly.

 

[noitulover]

we've tried it all... even if our chickens don't eat it, they will pull the leaves off and run around with them... then set them down and walk away, or they'll scratch around them until the plant is almost uprooted.

good luck! let me know when you find this miracle plant!!

 

[esthermgr]

The devegetating thing has more to do with how many chickens are in a space, I think. Not that low-density free rangers won't eat/ destroy greenery, but the damage just isn't intense enough to notice if you have a few hens over a big space. Also, if their poo doesn't build up in one spot it doesn't burn the plant life away. That's a big part of what happens in an enclosed chicken run. In my experience in a bigger open space they tend to have favorite spots where they dust bathe, and they might eat particularly delicious garden plants, but they won't just decimate the vegetation.

Could you try letting them out in the new area for a week or two and see if you start to notice damage? Depending on the size of the space and the number of chickens, you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[thespinningcottage]

Mine won't touch rosemary. It's super-fragant and fast and easy to grow here. You could watch to see where the bare patches develop and replace with that, or other herbs mentioned in the above posts.

 

[sandy sea]

Quote:
Well they can sometimes kill large trees too. I lost a tree because they picked off all the bark around the bottom of the tree. I now put chicken wire around the trees, it helps a little.