sazmet Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 My girls have just been moved to their own part of the garden that was full of weeds and grass that we had grown for them but a couple weeks later its bare!! Bar stinging nettles(!) what nice looking things can i plant that they wont eat so their home looks a bit nicer and has some other places to hide? (they have a tree, their house, old compost bit and a shelter in case it rains) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Crikey you are on to a bit of a loser there In general terms chooks are less fond of shiny waxy leaved plants, conifers and spikey leaved plants Anything else is like the deli counter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sazmet Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 Ok Thanks! will have a look out for a few bushes then! am i having a bit of a romantic dream of them running around a run lush with plants then!! haha!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Oh Sazmet We all thought that once upon a time... No hope I'm afraid its you keep you part of the garden and let them trash everything else. Last year mine had the Yukka and Mahonia that they wouldnt touch this year they love it. This year they have a 12foot long dust bath Enjoy X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Chuck Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I've grown a couple of Acuba bushes and a golden privet as a stand alone bush. It creates a small shrubbery that the hens like scatching around under. They have never shown any inclination to eat these bushes and it provides shelter from the rain and wind. I do have to protect the roots from their vigorous scatching though by placing rocks or bricks around the rootball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 The scatching is probably more an issue than the eating but if you can get big enough plants and then put rocks around them or a plant support that should take care of the scratching. The plant support works because chickens don't like to backward scratch and come up against something hard and nasty. For plants that chooks don't like to eat, well, how about roses? Also so far I'm having success with hostas, even little ones. The chickens clear away the slugs that normally demolish hostas and hey presto, you have nice green things. I haven't tried it but I have read that lemon balm can be used as well to make a sort of green carpet. You wouldn't need to invest much to try this out as a little pot spreads like wild fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
counturchickens Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Good tip about the hostas, will try that! I have a red Robin bush and a couple of other bushes which they scratch under and have taken to protecting new plants with sturdy pea netting from Wilko held round canes, topped with funky cane toppers. Also have a fab rambling Rose with clematis climbing through, I might even post some pics when it comes into flower! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sazmet Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 Thanks for the advice! we planted a sad looking waxy tree in there today! Ill put some bricks round it to stop it being dug up! I like the roses and hostas advice, they look pretty as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 in our FR area, we have found that for some reason they dont like big daisies!! I dont know what these flowers actually are, but they are about 60cm tall, they look like michaelmas daisies (but cant be, much too early surely?) and we have several clumps thriving in the vast dustbowl... oh yes, and nettles do well too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Could the daisies be Shasta (spelling?) daisies? Mine leave those big white ones with yellow centres totally alone, even when I frist planted them from a friend's cuttings. Another thing I forgot to mention that we have found gets completely left alone are Japanese anemonies, both the pink and the white ones. Tell you what my chooks have made disappear which is a bonus . . . bindweed It really has quite gone from our garden and used to be a real problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Mine have avoided lavender so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Lavender loves Lavender Lays on it and digs for England around it. Sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
counturchickens Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Mine eat Japanese anemones! The daisy things might be feverfew, I have lots which self seeded and they don't touch them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 We have a huge Mexican Orange and none of the hens eat any of it, they also don't eat the Fatsia Japonica. Interesting to read they don't eat Hostas as I have given up growing them because of the slugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 def not fevervew: will take pics tomorow!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerlily Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 Lol!!! My monkeys dig, scratch and peck for England!!! They jump for the gooseberries and Betty my Bluebelle just loves any greenery... Just wondered - are the Daisies Ox-eye daisies - are they quite large? Here's a link to wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucanthemum_vulgare All my fruit/veg are now in my front garden, growing safely away from the velociraptors lol! *edited to add link* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppers77 Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Agreed the they trash everything - we now fence off evertything they aren't allowed to touch ! I use plant rings around established plants & sticks randomly to discourage them from the main garden ( FR). I did see a guy with his girls (cute little bantam golden orphs/ white star crosses) in his fruit cage! Mine are prtty good around the raspberry patch they occasionally dive bomb them from the bench but generally just scratch around underneath and enjoy the shade? You'd just need to protect the canes while they establish ( Jan Feb time)? I also prune pretty badly s they fruit further up the cane which seems to help and we are inundated (with no fruit cage) with enough for us, the girls, the neighbours and the blackbirds!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Lol!!! My monkeys dig, scratch and peck for England!!! They jump for the gooseberries and Betty my Bluebelle just loves any greenery... Just wondered - are the Daisies Ox-eye daisies - are they quite large? Here's a link to wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucanthemum_vulgare All my fruit/veg are now in my front garden, growing safely away from the velociraptors lol! *edited to add link* YES! definitely oxeye daisies, and totally chicken-proof! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 That's such a lovely picture of your girls poppers77, can we have a picture of them with the raspberries when ready? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherbet Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Mine love Hostas, i have had to remove them out the garden & put in pots on tables, which they can't reach. They don't bother with Rosemary bushes, or Sage bushes, i have 2 huge ones and they are still alive & well! Also low lying conifer bushes that spread out are good for filling in bare bits of ground, but a bit costly to buy large ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
