Wanted - Eglu Cube Mk1 Roosting Bars

[chick wiggle]

Hi

We are clearing the ground for a WIR (excited ). Its on the site of a very old filled in pond. We were thinking of leaving the pond area as soil and the rest is concrete giving the girls a mixture of area. We would be using easibed too. Now i have heard mention of putting garden lime down but not sure how much or if this is correct. Also I thought it might be nice to have a few plants growing there too for them to scrat around and have a bit of shade. So which plants would be suitable ie ones that they wont eat but are not poisonous if they do?

[wooky]

Regarding plants that they won't eat but aren't poisonous... I'd like to know this too! I've found that the only thing my chooks won't absolutely devour is lemon balm: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_balm but I know that every chook is different.

 

However, as they have chomped through everything else I'm sure the lemon balm will be next on their path of destruction!

[Christian]

At least they would have sweet breath

 

Anything tall and spiky does well I think. Plants like rosemary are too woody for them to destroy. Large shrubs might stand a chance, but they might dig around the root ball - planting through an upturned wire basket will help protect the roots.

 

Good luck with the WIR

[chelsea]

I have jungle plants in my garden and they are never touched -

 

Tree Ferns/ferns

Cordalines

Phormeums (sp!)

Bamboos

Palms (date palms and that other one "fortunei" - sorry might be spelt wrong )

Banana plant

Various coloured grasses (including blue)

Fatsia

Hostas (the slugs get them first though)

 

Mine will devour any patio plants especially lobelia

[chick wiggle]

Ooo thats really helpful, thank you, I have some lemon balm and rosemary, maybe I could transfer those into the run. I agree about the sweet breath, that would be nice Ferns and cordalines would look nice too. I am very excited about the WIR but it is going to be a couple of months in the making but, on the plus side, that would give the shrubs a chance to take hold before the little darlings are let loose on them