Forums:

Plants alongside chicken coop.

Colin McGee

Posts: 62

Location: Quarryville, PA

I like...

posted 3 years ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Any suggestions for plants to grow alongside our chicken coop? Obviously I want to avoid anything that may be harmful to the birds. Our garden service guys are damaging the wire when they weed-whack the area so I thought a flower or vegetable bed outside the coop, adjacent to the wire would fix the problem.

Anne Miller

steward

Posts: 16698

Location: USDA Zone 8a

4350

I like...

posted 3 years ago

9
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I like the use of brassicas from this thread:

https://permies.com/t/147426/Chicken-run-perennials#1151483

Invasive plants are Earth's way of insisting we notice her medicines. Stephen Herrod Buhner
Everyone learns what works by learning what doesn't work. Stephen Herrod Buhner

Stacy Witscher

pollinator

Posts: 1518

Location: Southern Oregon

464

posted 3 years ago

5
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I grow herbs next to the chicken run, rosemary, oregano, mint, sage, thyme and lemon balm.

Living a life that requires no vacation.

Heather Sharpe

gardener

Posts: 828

Location: Central Indiana, zone 6a, clay loam

592

I like...

posted 3 years ago

4
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I think this is a great idea! Might be helpful to put some markers for your plants while they're getting established or something to make it look super intentional, lest your new plants be mistaken for weeds by the lawn service crew and get weed whacked.

I have hops growing near the chicken yard (hopefully they'll shade the coop). Also planning on chamomile, calendula, bee balm and lots of other herbs that could be beneficial for the chickens. Might also try roses or raspberries on the fence for food, beauty and climbing deterrent to critters. You might check out Edible Acres on youtube for inspiration. He has tons of plants in and around his chicken yard.

“Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.” ~ Robin Wall Kimmerer

Megan Palmer

gardener

Posts: 1327

Location: Zone 9A, 45S 168E, 329m Queenstown, NZ

554

I like...

posted 3 years ago

6
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I’d plant comfrey root cuttings in pots set on the ground so that they don’t get accidentally weed whacked and once the roots grow into the soil, you can slice through the bottom of the pot and get them growing elsewhere. Our chickens love eating comfrey leaves - I hang bunches in their enclosed run. The leaves die back in winter but are a valuable protein source when growing.

Mike Barkley

gardener & hugelmaster

Posts: 3756

Location: Gulf of Mexico cajun zone 8

2016

I like...

posted 3 years ago

7
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I grew tomatoes, buckwheat, comfrey, corn, & sunflowers around my previous coop. It was easier to give them their own garden than to keep them out of ours.

Argue for your limitations and they are yours forever.

PEP - BB10 Badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Mike Haasl

gardening - sand badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Mike Haasl

Food Prep and Preservation - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Mike Haasl

round wood woodworking - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Mike Haasl

earthworks - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Mike Haasl

homesteading - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Mike Haasl

Nathan Watson

Posts: 82

posted 3 years ago

4
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

There are some varieties of perennial wheat that you can buy. These would be great on the South facing wall and provide food for your chickens. '

https://landinstitute.org/our-work/perennial-crops/kernza/

One downside to perennial wheat is it can attract rodents, so you'll need to do something to deal with that potential problem.

Of course, it doesn't have to be just one plant, chickens prefer variety in their diets and will produce more nutritionally balanced eggs with a varied diet. If you let spinach go to seed, it will produce an abundant crop of seeds, and the spinach greens will also be good for your chickens. Chickweed, clover, miner's lettuce, there are all sorts of weeds and veggies you can grow that your chickens will love.

Kristine Keeney

gardener

Posts: 686

Location: South-southeast Texas, technically the "Golden Crescent", zone 9a

487

I like...

posted 3 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Howdy!
I love this thread!
Some time ago, somewhere online, I had mentioned that I like gardening with my chickens (the geese can't be bothered), and really encourage them to come scratch around the established plants (I had to kick them out during a very wet day because they were tearing up the sweet potatoes).
When I get a new roosting area for them, I will happily plant all kinds of vining crops, flowers and herbs in the general area, and scatter more of whatever they eat out of the yard. Since I don't have a run to cover or protect, it's both easier and harder to keep them cool, and to provide shade/shelter.

I'm going to go look at the websites previously given, and double check a few things. I love the idea of an edible vining crop planted to take advantage of the chicken poop, and assorted grains and herbs to provide some differences in their diet.
Thank you for those amazing suggestions!

There is nothing so bad that politics cannot make it worse. - Thomas Sowell
Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom. - Albert Einstein

Mart Hale

pollinator

Posts: 1048

280

I like...

posted 3 years ago

8
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Mulberry trees. as the fruit drops the chickens feast.

Life on a farm is a school of patience; you can't hurry the crops or make an ox in two days.
Henri Alain

Kristine Keeney

gardener

Posts: 686

Location: South-southeast Texas, technically the "Golden Crescent", zone 9a

487

I like...

posted 3 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Howdy!
I can't agree enough.
I put our coop (apparently only good for laying in because chickens and stuff) under a mulberry tree that I planted roughly 10 years ago.
It provides amazing shade for the flock, as well as the spring berries (which has the chickens thinking I can call food down from the heavens.)
The two trees I planted also brought in a whole bunch of birds that are native to the zone, but haven't been seen in this area for decades.

Yes, Mulberry trees for Spring, whatever native blackberry bramble you happen to have around (my chickens will eat the small fruit, and the leaves), and some wild grapes, if they're in your area, or maybe one of the climbing Curcubits for random squash during the summer.
I'm slowly making the chicken night roost a site for at least part of the garden. There's a lot of good compost there right now.

Thank you for jogging my memory!

There is nothing so bad that politics cannot make it worse. - Thomas Sowell
Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom. - Albert Einstein

John Skaggs

Posts: 75

Location: Boondock, KY

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Was considering a hedge of Rose of Sharon or other cold-hardy mallow. Could cut it back periodically. Think the birds would like it. Anybody try it?

William Bronson

gardener

Posts: 5287

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio,Price Hill 45205

1068

I like...

posted 3 years ago

5
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I have a mulberry tree dropping fruit on the chicken run fir the very first time this year.
It has been a disappointment!
I don't see them eating the fruit, I've even tried to hand feed them.
That being said, my chooks get a bunch of kitchen scraps every day, deposited onto a frequently turned compost pile, with free choice corn and pellets, plus we are in the midst of cicada season...

I have a lot of rose of Sharon and have alway given them the leafy limbs that I prune but I have no evidence they actually eat it.

I have seen chooks that will eat anything , but they tend to be in a bare earth run, with limited rations.
Mine are rather more entitled, so seemingly choice bits go uneaten.
As long as they keep shredding what I give them, I'll be satisfied with thier work.

Other than the mulberry tree, I have a hardy kiwi planted next to the compost run.
Will they eat fallen kiwi?
I have a ways to go before I find out, no fruit yet.
They do love willow leaves.
Surrounding the run with willow could make for a nice little circle as the trees sucks up manure and produces carbonous materials and green leaves.

I won't plant them in my yard proper, I've seen too many root clogged sewer lines in my plumber past.

Eating Bindweed
Eating Buckwheat Greens
Paul explains why I spend time here,better than I could myself.

Dee Kempson

Posts: 44

posted 3 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I read recently that growing marigolds and mint around their run helps to keep bird mites away... Remember that mint goes crazy if not contained or maybe it won't matter in that area...

Colin McGee

Posts: 62

Location: Quarryville, PA

I like...

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I do put sprigs of mint in the nesting boxes - and it certainly helps keep the flies down.

I ended up planting calendula alongside the coop. Looks pretty, and the chicks can eat the parts within reach.

J Nuss

Posts: 58

posted 3 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Where do you actually get these seeds? It seems like it’s impossible to find

J Nuss

Posts: 58

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Maybe I should have actually looked harder before posting. I found this…. I’ll order some, because why not! https://perennial-pantry.com/

Colin McGee

Posts: 62

Location: Quarryville, PA

I like...

posted 3 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I can't remember where we got seeds, it was a couple of years ago and they've self-seeded ever since. I know High Mowing carries them.
I just transplanted a few small plants. They recovered within a few days.

Barb Allen

Posts: 34

Location: Southern Oregon

posted 3 years ago

7
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Here's a couple things I did for mine a few years back..... built a bed INSIDE the pen that had chicken wire covering it on an angle. The chickens could get at whatever I grew in there - but not until it was big enough to handle being eaten.... Then on the outside I grew Daylilies on one side and Comfrey on another and they just ripped off the bits of leaves they could reach through the wire fencing.

Barb Allen

Posts: 34

Location: Southern Oregon

posted 3 years ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I don't know if this is okay to do - but here is a blog post from my website that tells lots of other things I did for food for my chickens which you may find useful -- from sprouting seed and grains to raising Azolla on our small pond, growing an everbearing Mulberry in the big wild hazelnut grove pen, where I also dump the huge numbers of oak leaves from our giant trees each fall, for the chickens to turn into compost and worm food over the winter. https://theholisticgardenblog.com/2015/08/30/feeding-my-chickens/

Kendra Williams

Posts: 2

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

If you put them too close the chickens will eat them. You may as well.plant something the chickens like, thats beneficial; or plant something you can eat or make tea out of thats sturdy and prolufic. I suggest dandelions because its very good for you. Comfrey is easy and can be used for compost tea/ fertilizer for other plants. It also improves the soil.

Jesse Mohan

Posts: 1

posted 1 year ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

My chickens have started eating the leaves from a beaked hazelnut tree. I've been feeding them the nuts every so often, but I can't find anywhere if the leaves are safe for them to eat. Does anyone know?

Barb Allen

Posts: 34

Location: Southern Oregon

posted 1 year ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

As for beaked hazel nut leaves, my chickens have been spending their days in a grove of these native trees for 12 yrs now and have never had a problem. I prune the trees frequently and drop the branches with leaves on the ground. I can't say I have seen them eating them, though, so I can't say for sure. But my guess is they are okay.

Kristine Keeney

gardener

Posts: 686

Location: South-southeast Texas, technically the "Golden Crescent", zone 9a

487

I like...

posted 1 year ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I found references to ruffled grouse eating the young buds and leaves, so that's known.
It would seem the leaves, being part of at least one animal's native diet, they're not typically poisonous.
I couldn't find any reference to the leaves being poisonous.

Your chickens should be fine. Make sure they have alternative foods, but the leaves are okay to eat.

There is nothing so bad that politics cannot make it worse. - Thomas Sowell
Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom. - Albert Einstein

Jordy Buck

Posts: 47

Location: Ensley Center, MI, USA

posted 1 year ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Colin McGee wrote:Any suggestions for plants to grow alongside our chicken coop? Obviously I want to avoid anything that may be harmful to the birds. Our garden service guys are damaging the wire when they weed-whack the area so I thought a flower or vegetable bed outside the coop, adjacent to the wire would fix the problem.

Jerusalem Artichoke. They will suck up the leaching nutrients, provide summer shade, and grow tubers and seed heads for your birds.

As a farmer, I am a steward of the land and it’s animals.
My job is to feed both people and nature, to build up the world around me.
Farmers are healers of the land and providers of the people.
I will do my best to keep a clean and healthy environment that would be pleasing to God

Jen Fulkerson

gardener

Posts: 1813

Location: N. California

858

I like...

posted 1 year ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I have grapes on the south side, they were there long before the chickens. I just planted a sweet potato, and rosemary. I surrounded it with wire fencing. It's very obvious how far in the fence they can reach. I also planted calendula and a purple tree kale cutting. What I didn't see is a small hole in the chicken wire fence. Something got in there and munched it to the ground. So I need to patch the holes, and try again. My chickens must be picky, they won't eat any Herbs or flowers. I think I will still plant some, so maybe it will help deter the critters.
Another thing I was thinking about planting next to the coop is swiss chard. In my area it's very easy to grow, grows year round, and the chickens love it. They even eat the stem.
I just got some dwarf moringa tree seeds. I got them to grow to add to my feed so hopefully I can stop buying soybean meal. I think if they do well I will put one in the center of the chicken yard. It will give shade and be super convenient for the feed.
I have enjoyed all the great ideas, thanks for the great post.

IMG20230728100534.jpg

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” — Abraham Lincoln

Hoo hoo hoo! Looks like we got a live one! Here, wave this tiny ad at it:

permaculture bootcamp - learn permaculture through a little hard work

https://permies.com/wiki/bootcamp