Which plants WON'T a chicken eat???

[JennsPeeps]

I've sectioned off a part of my yard to create a "No Chicken Zone" (NCZ). It keeps chickens out of the house, away from the yard, prevents them from eating my veggie garden, and guarantees that the only chicken on the al fresco table is the one I put there.

For the other half, which *used to* have grass, I'm trying to move plants that are chicken resistant.

Here's what they've left alone so far:
*Hellebore
*Hydrangea
*Flowering Quince
*Day lilies
*Highland cranberry
*Ground geraniums
*Columbine
*Tulips (who would have thunk??)
*Red twig dogwood
*Sedum
*Lavender

Other suggestions?

 

[hippichick]

Very interested in this. I've been looking for plants to plant around my pond in my chicken yard. So far, they've eaten my Azaleas and my Cannas. They nibbled a little on my Iris. They've left alone my Butterfly Bush, Martin's Tea Trea, and small Crepe Myrtle. I've dug up some Plumbago to plant in there tomorrow, so I'll see how that goes. How about Roses? Are they just going to devour those? If so, I won't bother.

Paula

 

[swedishfish]

I have a similar question. I am building a new coop and run next to my garden, and am planning to fence in my garden to let them roam around in after harvest, and maybe find a way to have a Weed Control Patrol without destroying my veggies. So:
What veggies are bad for chickens?
Which ones will they leave alone?
Which veggies could I plant to let the chickens have?
Does anyone have an idea about how to let the chickens eat the weeds but not my veggies (I was thinking covers kinda like the ones you use to save your plants from frost) or is this impossible?
Thanks!

 

[castlecreekfarm]

Does anyone know of any vines that they won't eat? I would love to plant some on my coop wire for a little shade.

 

[swedishfish]

whooo, good idea!

 

[chookchick]

What is interesting about your list is that it is so close to a list of "deer resistant" plants. I know well what deer will not eat, as we have several that think they live here, and have devoured everything remotely edible to them. So I would continue on that vein--here are some more possibilities:
Rhododendrons
Ornamental grasses--carex, miscanthus, etc...
Barberry
Ceanothus--small leaf
Heathers
Nandina
Potentilla
Spirea
Achillea
Euphorbias
Penstemon
This is a short list--many more can be found on internet lists. I would assume they taste bad, and some are actually poisonous, so they taste bad to all animals.

ETA--Jasmine, Wisteria and Solanum are listed as deer-resistant. Solanum is poisonous so you might want to keep an eye on that.

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

Daffodils. I am soooo happy to report that they left them alone!

 

[citrusdreams]

They haven't touched my lilac bushes at all

 

[coffeelady3]

Mine won't eat the invasives that I want them to eat! Morning glory, English ivy, blackberries. The little buggers!

ETA-I have a HUGE lilac bush you can take some cuttings off of, if you would like. My neighbors did and it's growing like gangbusters!

 

[Judy]

Mine have not eaten any of the shrubs or trees I planted, and did not bother zinnias. But I cannot mulch them as they scratch it out. Roses, willows, poplar, cherry, pine, juniper, and maple were not bothered, of the things I have that might apply in your climate.

They will wipe out a veggie garden, though, so I fenced it with cheap chicken wire. Nightshade leaves (like tomatoes and eggplants) are supposed to be poisonous to them, but they never bothered my plants, they just ate the fruit....