the-marks Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Is there any such thing as a chicken proof plant?? Now the rest of the garden is growing, the area the chickens FR in looks decidedly bare! Apart from a palm, everything else has been eaten. Has anyone come across any shrubs etc that are chicken proof? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 The problem is not just the leaves/foliage, but what the chooks will do to the roots... I've found thinges like azaelias, rhododendrons, roses all quite good - but you have to find a way of protecting the roots from their feet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFeatheredFiend Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 There are plants that chooks won't eat. Daffodils for example. Didn't stop them from trampling the poor flowers to pulp though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Plastic ones I've taken to decorating their end of the garden with other things like tiles on fenceposts, shells on the steps, hanging baskets etc., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I have a berberis, a mahonia japonica and a holly which they leave alone. I have had to protect them with bits of slab round their bases, however, as they had just about dug them up . They ate my rhododendron so I moved it to the front garden . They also ate another shrub they hadn't touched for 2 years then suddenly took a liking to (can't remember what it was called). Edit: I found photographic evidence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muzzboy Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Got a few rockery plants which are flat and spread out and my chickens don't seem bothered with them although they walk over them it does not make a difference as they are already flat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 ANH your photographic evidence made me spit wine over the keyboard!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
counturchickens Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Only sturdy bushes seem to survive, looking to buy some more shrubby things to replace those which have been dug up! They seem to leave the woody herbs alone too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeMeadfan Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 ANH - the shrub is (was ) Euonymous - I had one of those too. The girls stripped the leaves off leaving bare twigs then it was no more They do seem to ignore some shrubs then you get complacent and that's when they take a liking to them! It is their feet which are a major problem - we have some large stones/ pebbles at the base of our fence (where some potential 'Great Escape' routes are), and they manage to s"Ooops, word censored!"e them about a bit Oh & I agree - they do love trampling things down too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 ANH - the shrub is (was ) Euonymous - I had one of those too. Aha, that's the one (was the one ) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillM Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Shame...I was thinking of planting a shrub in the WIR for them to dustbathe under -at the minute they use the potentilla...So I'd wondered if I could transplant that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeMeadfan Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 Well you could try Jillm but my shrub was in the run and I guess when they got bored or fancied a snack - they decided to help themselves I've since got a WIR (made out of Heras builders fences!) , and now there's a bigger Euonymous in there which they've left alone (so far ). They don't tend to eat/peck the other shrubs leaves off in the garden - only if in their run. Mind you not saying they never peck leaves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammiboo Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 i was going to start a thread like this. I have got a few herbs in my planter that they have a munch on but not destroyed but my flower beds are bare as i know they are going to dig them up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchickenlady Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 If you can protect them from being dug up, they tend to leave anything from the allium family alone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Plastic ones Plum you beat me to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
