Will hoey

[tdf010604]

I have a walk in run with a large outdoor area attached where the hens range all day..it spent a week looking oh so pretty and grassy...now not a blade of grass to be seen! I want to plant some shrubs in it to make it more interesting for them and also nicer for me to see from the house..does anyone have a recommendations on which plants can/can't be used please?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Only plants with waxy leaves seems to be safe in my garden! I do have an ancient hydrangea too, which they eat but only up to their head height so it still flowers and looks ok from a distance .

[Olly]

Even plants that would normally be ignored in the garden will become forage when there's nothing else to eat/peck at. Your best bet is to plant stuff outside the run, it will provide shade for them and interest for you and it stands a chance of not being eaten.

[Patricia W]

The only plants mine don't touch are feverfew, rosemary, and nettles. They love bindweed, thank goodness. They've cleared the garden of it so they do have their uses!

[gavclojak]

I have some ornamental grasses in tubs scattered around

and they leave those alone and I also have some lavender plants they don't touch. Also those plastic topiary balls that hang. I know what you mean, with the addition of the plants I have to say my enclosure loos fine. Have a look at my thread introducing my ex batt girls at last and there are a few photos.

[Plum]

Why not grow things outside like hanging baskets and inside the run put up things you like to look at.

 

In my run I have little wooden egg shapes that I've painted the girls names on screwed to the frame, metal lizards, plates from holidays, eggs for sale signs, and stuff like that.

 

In their garden where they decimated the flowers I put blue and white tiles on the fenceposts and a big red metal flower on the fence and seashells cemented to the steps though they are coming off now. They've left the blue bush and catmint flowering but you can tell how high they can jump by the level my fushias have flowers and leaves.

 

In our garden which I let them into for a few hours at weekends it looks pretty good with lots of flowers still because they are after insects in the borders.

 

You could be really mean next year and grow tomatoes in hanging baskets above their heads

[heth1986]

Mine tend to leave most herbs alone... I don't know if this would be the case if they were the only plants in reach though! I don't have much green in my WIR anymore, there is a large lilac bush at the back but that's pecked bare as far up as they can reach! I'm now growing a couple of clematis up the outside of the run instead, I'm hoping it will dangle through a but and give a bit of colour inside the run as well as outside! I guess hanging baskets could also work???

[tdf010604]

Thanks everyone, my main concern was that something might be poisonous to them.. I think some pots scattered around might do the trick....hanging baskets are a good idea, I have some brackets somewhere in the shed.

Off to the garden centre I go!!!

[Margaret]

Mine have Disco lights

[KimmyCustard]

A big pot of bamboo is nice in the run, provides shade and shelter from driving winter rain! Plus its green and they dont seem to want to eat it - yet......