megalin Posted November 4, 2010 Share Posted November 4, 2010 Hi everyone, I've made a make shift run extension for our girls in the day time as they seem to behave more 'chickeny' with the added space. In the extension were some plants we had there before they were allowed out there! Including a jasmine plant. They are currently demolishing it and I haven't had the heart to take it away! I wondered today though which plants are poisonous to them?! They've been fine after eating large quantities of jasmine but i'd really rather they had their own plants! Anything you could recommend I put in there growing so that they can happily destroy there own plants?!! Megalin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 4, 2010 Share Posted November 4, 2010 **List of poisonous plants** Jasmine doesn't appear to be on it. Phew. They tend to leave plants that will harm them alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie7 Posted November 4, 2010 Share Posted November 4, 2010 I have some raspberries, which they jump up to get, it looks so funny! I get some to, the ones they can't reach. They don't eat the leaves or anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickyhazel Posted November 4, 2010 Share Posted November 4, 2010 There's a certain bush in our garden which the chickens absolutely adore the leaves of but i'm afraid i can't remember what it is... sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megalin Posted November 4, 2010 Author Share Posted November 4, 2010 Thanks Egluntyne for the list! Quite a lot.... I hope their instincts are on the ball! Ha ha, raspberries sound good, we have one at the end of the garden (But they aren't allowed that far yet!) I just love watching them eat it, their little faces light up..... This is the Jasmine I've nursed lovingly back to health over the last few months after neglect from it's last owner, I can't believe I'm allowing this really I can see these girls having ultimate control in a few weeks.... They already have melon grape blueberry and seed porridge (warm) before bedtime..... My partner secretly thinks I'm bananas, must have spent a fortune on them already...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted November 4, 2010 Share Posted November 4, 2010 Wow that sounds a fancy porridge We have a large fern in our garden, the sort that doesn't die back in the winter. The chickens jump up and down to get to the top shoots like Zebidee - boing, boing. They look so funny, like flat footed ballerinas. Oddly they leave the normal ferns that vanish in the winter completely alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted November 4, 2010 Share Posted November 4, 2010 charlie - mine too! i had to put netting around my rapsberries and strawberries so i actually had some for myself! they still jumped up and ate the raspberries though, and ruby (the naughtiest), always finds a way to get in netted-off area , and destroys all the plants in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted November 4, 2010 Share Posted November 4, 2010 Plant them some lettuce Mine haven't (yet) touched photonia, hebe, escallonia, lavendar, euonymous, or ivy. They do peck at Leylandii let me know if it's on the poison list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megalin Posted November 4, 2010 Author Share Posted November 4, 2010 Can't see it on the list! I've planted them some trays of grass to keep them going until they are allowed on the lawn! They go mad for it, I chuck a lump in every day and it's demolished in 15mins also growing some wheat grass,beans and corn.... They like the Jasmine best though, i think it sways in the wind and they just cant help themselves! like green air born worms..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted November 5, 2010 Share Posted November 5, 2010 I've actually bought chickweed seeds . They loved it so much during the summer but my garden didn't grow it fast enough for them. Maybe my new girls will teach the batts what cabbage is for... P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megalin Posted November 5, 2010 Author Share Posted November 5, 2010 I put an old window box that was overgrown with weeds in the run today and they were over the moon with it, Practically gone already. I just did an image search for chickweed and that's what it was in the window box..... I'll get some more seeds! I'm never going to keep up with their plant eating ability! Nothing grows quick enough i think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted November 5, 2010 Share Posted November 5, 2010 I always put my 'finished' pots of summer annuals into the run for them - they do a very good job of cleaning out the pots for me, and the compost just disappears into the ground... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...