Wisteria in the chicken run?

[Hepburnchickens]

We built a trellis in the chicken yard and I intended to grow wisteria on it. I've recently read that its toxic to chickens. Has anyone had any experience with this? I planned to add some chicken wire to keep them from destroying it until it got established. Will they even eat it?

 

[aart]

Might want some angle braces to keep the top level.
Wisteria can tear stuff up/down.
Might need to keep it pruned....the chickens may help keep it from spreading along the ground. Definitely protect the base of plants until well established.

Another consideration is the they may fly up there, then out of run area.

 

[cadeschicks]

Never heard that it's toxic. I have wisteria all over my back fence. When it blooms my girls love to hop up to grab the purple flowers to eat. No ill effect for them.

 

[Folly's place]

I'd plant something else, maybe grapes? Wisteria is a bit toxic, and having it in the run will limit their choices too much, so more would be eaten than having it outside where there's so many other things to eat!
Besides, that trellis will be wiped out by a wisteria! Grape vines will destroy it too, but they need annual pruning anyway.
It will work to hold up the netting you will need to keep your birds in, and raptors out.
Mary

 

[Hepburnchickens]

I'd plant something else, maybe grapes? Wisteria is a bit toxic, and having it in the run will limit their choices too much, so more would be eaten than having it outside where there's so many other things to eat! Besides, that trellis will be wiped out by a wisteria! Grape vines will destroy it too, but they need annual pruning anyway. It will work to hold up the netting you will need to keep your birds in, and raptors out. Mary

Luckily I purchased a native wisteria, which I hear is less aggressive. I may put that somewhere else and get some muscats instead. They grow well here. I'm planning on stringing some baling twine and small flags from the trellis to the fence line to discourage hawks. We are smack in the middle of town with decent tree cover, so hawks aren't our biggest threat here. There will be a hot wire to discourage raccoons and neighborhood dogs. The fencing is the same height we had at out last coop and the girls never tried to escape. Hoping for.the same result here.

 

[Folly's place]

I didn't know about That wisteria, and just looked it up. Beautiful! Maybe I need one somewhere too?!
Mary

 

[Hepburnchickens]

I didn't know about That wisteria, and just looked it up. Beautiful! Maybe I need one somewhere too?!
Mary

I'll post an update if I manage to not kill it!