OwenLdn Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 (edited) Hey everyone, The girls have had a lovely weekend roaming around the garden for the first time! And i was wondering however how your plants look with their free ranging chickens? As they seem to want to taste or even eat pretty much everything! Now ive accepted that this is the case..... .....I am looking for suggestions of what plants to underplant my shrubs/trees in the borders that chickens will not find attractive to eat! I don't necessarily mean flowers- as I love just foliage plants too- and being evergreen would be a bonus too! Or is this just a laughable question! Its taken me 3 years to get the garden looking like it is- Im not expecting it to be pristine but ive only a small garden so it is important to me that I have some plants under the taller things! This was it last summer- as you can see its a tiny urban plot- but its my oasis and am hoping the chooks will compliment it- not eat it all! Thank you Owen Edited March 2, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchickenlady Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Firstly, WOW . Your garden is gorgeous. I'm . I'm also a keen gardener, and this is my first year of chicken keeping/gardening. I've noticed that once things get really growing, they don't bother too much (unless it's fruit/veg, then they just scoff it all!). My plan is to grow all my bedding on in the greenhouse before planting out, and then to use this year as a sort of experiment. I'll tally up my successes and failures, and will hopefully still have a lovely garden come July I have pekins, though, who don't reach up as high as large fowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Looks fantastic! After some careful experiments, and asking others on here, I am very slowly turning the garden "chicken proof", so that they can free range, but I can also have a reasonable looking garden! So far, they are leaving alone roses (although miniture types I think someone said they stand on and wreck that way...), Lavender, Azaleas, Bulbs, Cammelia (sp?), Rhododendrons. So anything kind of woody - if that makes sense! Most tall stuff is OK - except where they can jump on something else (like the back of a seat) to get access to it!! And some herbacious tall things, I am going to have to protect until it is a tall thing... Things like Pinks they don't eat - but do pull apart with their feet looking for the bugs below... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwenLdn Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 Cheers guys- i *love* gardening- im really into tropical plants at the moment and have loads of bananas, palms and bamboo in the garden. Thank you for your suggestions- im guessing woody shrubs that can stand being scratched about and cant get totally eaten! I dont even have space for my outdoor table any more - (you can see it in the second photo)- i had to take it down to make way for the chooks house! It was the best choice- on concrete near the back door- and catching some sun in the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Wonderful garden I have hebes; there is a bewildering array of habit, foliage and flower colour and the bees love them. I also have heathers and sourced properly you have flowers all year round. I tried lavender which though they did leave alone the wet weather killed. They have left the bulbs alone, my snowdrops and crocuses survived and the daffs are just coming through. My hellebores were similarly ignored. Dahlias? FORGET IT and my pansies and primulas have to be planted out of reach. I have just bought chicken grass which will be used to reseed the lawns so I am eagerly expecting a chicken resistant garden. Well, one lives in hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Your garden is absolutely beautiful!! I love all the tropical planting! I have to strictly supervise my girls free ranging- they're vandals!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I would say take a long look at your garden because it won't look that fab for long! I have lots of mud, lots of s"Ooops, word censored!"ed up former plants and several upside down hanging baskets and freezer drawers placed strategically over some plants that I can't bear to lose. I have got some posts to dot around - I really must get down to that - and put a barrier up around the borders. On the brighter side I still have a lawn. The other day my fat lumps were standing right in the middle of my lavender bushes. Didn't do the lavender any good, but they smelt delightful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I have cordoned off the borders, if only to stop the hellions laying in the shrubbery and making me hunt on my hands and knees for eggs. Seriously, if you want an immaculate garden, then it ain't gonna happen (sorry) but try bantams/miniatures and fencing off the borders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millihelen Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Our chickens have done a great job of weeding and clearing the borders over the winter. They left all the dead stuff in heaps on the lawn so we just had to gather it up and put it on the compost heap. They are now confined to their end of the garden after digging two large dustbowl holes in the lawn. Husband filled the holes this weekend and decided to make an early start on reseeding, so now it is all covered in seeds and lawn feed. It probably won't "take" as it is last year's stock! just noticed "chicken grass" mentioned - what is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I would say take a long look at your garden because it won't look that fab for long Not necessarily so! We have a very jungle type garden (similar plants to yours) but not quite as pretty and established and my garden has stayed intact see here - They do like to dig in borders - but this is easily swept up, and they do like to scratch the pebbles around. My girls do not touch my ferns, grasses, cordalines, phormeums, tree fern or bamboos - in fact everything evergreen they dont touch. (apart from grass ) I think because you have more pots they probably wont touch it....instead they will enjoy eating the compost out of the tops of your pots - I have to keep topping mine up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Gosh your gardens are gorgeous - is mine the only one to look chaotic and untidy?? I justify it by saying there are 4 kids, a dog and 5 chickens who use it but would LOVE a tidy garden. in answer to your question all I have done is net off a patch around the run as the lawn is a mud bath within mintues otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 net off a patch around the run as the lawn is a mud bath within mintues otherwise. Agree with that - our grass patch is brown at the moment Forgot to add - any type of flowery patio bedding plant is usually eaten or pecked at (especially lobelia) but my green plants stay green. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 My girls have taken great delight in eating a new rose that I planted late last year, its a small rose with little leaves (or rather it was ). I cover it up now when they are out. They also ate a fushia that was in a pot. They seemed to leave the penstemons alone but I made a point of telling them off everytime they went near to the flowers. Now of course they just stand on them and try to scratch them out. I have lots of bamboos, grasses and phormimums (sp?) and they don't touch these along with the other shrubs. I'm getting a walk in run so my garden can get back to normal. I love the girls but I love my garden as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 just noticed "chicken grass" mentioned - what is that? I'm trying it to see if it is a tad more chicken resistant than the usual rye grass. It's a poultry pasture that has 12 different species. I'm planting half the garden at a time, netting the horrors away till it gets established. I'm also planting wild flowers and lawn grass in the borders under the shrubs hoping they'll eat that instead. It's here ..............http://www.thegrassseedstore.co.uk/500-poultry-grazing-pasture-p-309.html?osCsid=4ee7fa16b40735d9d48c9d2460eefccd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boybeck Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I edged my lawn with railway sleepers (two on top of each other) and built up the soil behind them. It keeps the dirt off the lawn. In terms of plants, I have found they don't touch palms and phormiums. It's hilarious watching the hens jumping up to reach bamboo leaves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millihelen Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Does anybody else think that the amount of digging and scratching depends on the breed of chicken? We have Miss Pepperpots and they have torn up all the moss and most of the grass on "their" patch of lawn. My son's school have Miss Pepperpots who have wrecked their patch and another breed (sorry don't know the name) who have hardly touched theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Loving your garden too Chelsea! Was just looking longingly at your tree fern... I wrapped mine up in fleece but think I've lost them this winter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Was just looking longingly at your tree fern... I wrapped mine up in fleece but think I've lost them this winter Thanks! I tie mine up every year with string and put straw down through the middle - so far so good... just cut off the dead branches this weekend and I can see the new shoots coming. You would have thought it would be milder down your way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smanners Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I'm so you have such lovely gardens. Every time OH picks up a spade to dig anything he has 9 feathery helpers sat on and under the spade, rake or fork fighting for worms and earth beasties. Within a few days of getting the girls they had dug up all the snowdrop bulbs and have mutilated the daffodils this week! I guess the only way is to restrict their liberty but thay send me on such a guilt trip when I do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I'm so you have such lovely gardens.Every time OH picks up a spade to dig anything he has 9 feathery helpers sat on and under the spade, rake or fork fighting for worms and earth beasties. Within a few days of getting the girls they had dug up all the snowdrop bulbs and have mutilated the daffodils this week! I guess the only way is to restrict their liberty but thay send me on such a guilt trip when I do We let our 10 out into our part of the garden yesterday. They were like hoards of Chav's on the rampage, squealing with delight as they charged to the top of the garden to find my crocosmia shoots which they ate and they also ate the snowdrops, or should I say bit the flowers off and spat them out and as for the decimation of what is left of the grass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwenLdn Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 We let our 10 out into our part of the garden yesterday. They were like hoards of Chav's on the rampage, squealing with delight as they charged to the top of the garden This made me laugh!! I think im going to have to fence of an area for the girls to have as their own- and then from there only supervised visits around the rest of the garden. How tall a fence do you have to keep your chickens in a certain area? Mine are Bantams (although im wondering about the Light Sussex- she seems quite large compaired with the others!) so im hoping it wont have to be as tall as for larger chickens. Oh and do you worry about fertiliser granules you put down for the plants? I realised that i had some grow more white pellets around on the plants which hadnt broken done yet which probably look very interesting to a hen. Thanks Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Does anybody else think that the amount of digging and scratching depends on the breed of chicken?We have Miss Pepperpots and they have torn up all the moss and most of the grass on "their" patch of lawn. My son's school have Miss Pepperpots who have wrecked their patch and another breed (sorry don't know the name) who have hardly touched theirs. I must say my Miss Pepperpot has the record for managing to kick the furthest out of my girls. I sat and watched with my mouth open the other day as she kicked the bark about six feet away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Sussexes are generally bigger hens anyway Owen, so I wouldn't worry too much. I have a 2' fence of chicken wire around my borders and that keeps them off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Does anybody else think that the amount of digging and scratching depends on the breed of chicken?We have Miss Pepperpots and they have torn up all the moss and most of the grass on "their" patch of lawn. My son's school have Miss Pepperpots who have wrecked their patch and another breed (sorry don't know the name) who have hardly touched theirs. I must say my Miss Pepperpot has the record for managing to kick the furthest out of my girls. I sat and watched with my mouth open the other day as she kicked the bark about six feet away I agree, my black rock(Miss Pepperpot) I have always thought is the reincarnation of Bruce Lee, she can do so much damage with just one kick . She kicks soil and leaves feet into the air and away from her, the others barely scratch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 We let our 10 out into our part of the garden yesterday. They were like hoards of Chav's on the rampage, squealing with delight as they charged to the top of the garden This made me laugh!! I think im going to have to fence of an area for the girls to have as their own- and then from there only supervised visits around the rest of the garden. How tall a fence do you have to keep your chickens in a certain area? Mine are Bantams (although im wondering about the Light Sussex- she seems quite large compaired with the others!) so im hoping it wont have to be as tall as for larger chickens. Oh and do you worry about fertiliser granules you put down for the plants? I realised that i had some grow more white pellets around on the plants which hadnt broken done yet which probably look very interesting to a hen. Thanks Owen Owen, we put nice picket fencing up with chicken wire on the top. However, when a chicken got it's foot stuck in the wire and was stuck hanging upside down we took it down immediately. Our solution was bamboo canes and cheap netting. However, my Black Rock regularly flies straight over it and my massive Bluebelle has also cleared it. Oh, and my Vorwerk has suddenly realised that she can jump up the pear tree and use it as a launch pad to get over it Ooh, just realised that there's grass in that photo I can't help with the fertiliser pellets question as we don't use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
