Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I want to plant something outside the chicken run my hubby is going to build to make it pretty..the rest of the garden is pretty much just grass,trees and some fenced off veg.

 

What can i plant that is chicken proof ..i would prefer something that doesn't die after a year..as you can tell i don't know a lot about plants :roll:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OOOh! What a good question. I want to plant some climbers to grow over my new chicken run, but am not sure what to plant that will be chicken-proof and chicken-safe. :? So if there are any gardeners out there with any ideas, I'd be really grateful for any suggestions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of my plants seem to survive, guess i must just be lucky! The only things the chooks have managed to uproot are bedding plants so i've given up on them. All my larger shrubs and climbers have been fine so maybe just make sure that whatever you plant is quite big to start with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my girls don't touch lavender or rosemary, mint or chives all of which are growing in pots along the side of the run :lol:

 

however, sometimes if they spy a bug or fancy a dust bath they will uproot plants even if they don't eat them :roll:

large pebbles in the tops of planters will stop this. gravel, I find, just encourages them and hurts like fury when kicked towards bare shins like machine gun fire :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

for climbing they dont eat clematis montana lots of small pink clematis twice a year.The chooks dont like rocket (I love it).

 

The chooks have just stripped my Azalea its the nicest display of twigs I have ever seen :evil:

 

THey have just scoffed a trayfull of baon red onions I only left the tray for five minutes :x

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we too have given up on bedding plants, it's got to be very substantial before it's planted to stand a chance with the Laydees - not even the tree has been safe as they jump up to eat the leaves off the low branches :shock:

 

They haven't touched the bamboo or the honeysuckle that's in their run and there is a plant there that I have no idea what it's called but they don't like that either - just try to expose it's root ball! :roll:

 

The herb barrel has been "done over" and yesterday Geri was caught digging over the veg plot......

 

Some comfort though - last year Geri uprooted most of my red onions and we only had a small crop of small onions!! :lol: butone of them must have shown more strength than the other - I noticed yesterday that there's an onion growing and is doing VERY well and strong - so a year late we'll harvest him this year instead!

 

Ah the joy of our hens

 

:D

 

A

xx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Found this on 'tinterweb:

 

The following are known to be poisonous: Bryony / Deadly Nightshade / Horseradish / Hemlock / Henbane / Lburnham Monkshood / Privet / Rhubarb / Yew.

 

Not sure what Lburnham is. I reckon a typo...should it be Laburnum, which is definitely poisonous?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

reckon you're right, it's a typo for Laburnum. My guess is that they mostly know what to avoid. Mine don't like chives, they helpfully weeded the tub for me but left them intact, if a bit battered by scratching. Someone else on here reckons they don't eat day lilies, can't remember who.

 

I think if it's very green, soft and juicy it doesn't stand a chance! go for larger, woody, tougher things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you'll end up just trying plants and seeing if yours like the taste or not.

 

Mine eat the clematis, any herbs, jasmine, roses ... in fact the only thing they don't touch is the rosemary (but they sit on it so it's looking a bit sad now :? )

 

Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've discovered the plants on the outside of the pen have a square edge running along the fence where the chickens have nibbled through. The raspberry leaves are stripped bare if they go through the mesh.

There's one sad little plant in the pen * with waxy leaves that continues to "survive" (i.e. not die) desite being eaten, sat on, and its root ball dug up. :(

 

* I was going to do a jungle effect of bigger plants that would survive but only ever bought 1 plant :?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...