Chicken proof plants.

Orfy · Post by **Orfy** » 04 Apr 2009, 11:49

I think it would be good to have a list of chicken proof plants for the gardeners with freeranging Chooks.

PLEASE ADD YOUR PLANTS
I'll update and add pictures with more time.

I've had mine free ranging for over 6 months now.
I guess the surviving plants are in 2 categories.
They get destroyed due to.

1. Trashing.
2. Digging up
3. Eating.

1. Established and survived.
2. Sprouting perennials that survive new growth
3. New/Young plants they don't touch.
4. Jury is out
5. Failures

Established plants that survive
Rosemary
Bay
Fatsia japonica(some people call it false castor oil plant)
Tree ferns
Daffodils
Pittesporum
Mahonia japonica
Lonicera(lowgrowing shrubby type)
Clematis cyrrhosa 'freckles'
Peony(so far,so good)
Roses
Sedum spectabile(ice plant,so far)

Sprouting perennials that survive new growth
Bugle
Hyacinth
Black Mondo Grass - Ophiopogon planiscapus - 'Arabicus'
Marjoram
Standard heather

New/Young plants they don't touch.
x
x
x

Jury is out
Helleborus. It is getting flattened but not eaten. It may work with support.
Wall flowers. They've eaten the tips but not the full plants.

Failures
Grass!!!!

Chicken on the Hill · Post by **Chicken on the Hill** » 04 Apr 2009, 12:47

Fatsia japonica(some people call it false castor oil plant)
Tree ferns
Daffodils
Pittesporum
Mahonia japonica
Lonicera(lowgrowing shrubby type)
Clematis cyrrhosa 'freckles'
Peony(so far,so good)
Roses
Sedum spectabile(ice plant,so far)

They've chewed at the ceanothus(californian lilac), but not too bad.

ali · Post by **ali** » 04 Apr 2009, 22:01

Well, as well as those already mentioned I have a CARYOPTERIS (blue spirea) whose leaves are regrowing faster than they are eaten ( at the moment )
A bush FUSCHIA that is doing ok as they can't reach most of the new growth
An OSMANTHUS, like the fuschia, it's too big for them to destroy another OSMANTHUS that looks like a holly, that is left alone.
A black SAMBUCUS ( elder ) seems to be growing well.
I also have 2 small BOX that they don't touch.
I had an assortment of MINT that they didn't eat, but seems to have died out without their help !
Forgot to add the HEBES are left untouched.

wolfe · Post by **wolfe** » 09 Apr 2009, 21:28

Another one to add to your list is ruhbarb, my girls won't touch it and actualy keep the weeds down around it. )t'

Post by **p.penn** » 09 Apr 2009, 22:14

Mine LOVE rhubarb leaves! :shock:

wolfe · Post by **wolfe** » 09 Apr 2009, 22:25

Strange,

i wonder what has put them off my rhubarb. Must be a N. Irish thing.

Post by Mo » 09 Apr 2009, 22:48

Ah, the mystery of rhubarb.
The leaves contain oxalic acid, which is poisonous, to hens and people. And I've read that the stems do too later in the season, which is why you should stop picking, in (I think it's) July.
But some on her say their hens have eaten it with no but effect.

Bok bok bok · Post by **Bok bok bok** » 02 May 2009, 00:33

Stinging nettles, Hops Rosemary and Lavender is all that mine don't touch!

My Sedum was shredded unfortunatly, they have even eaten s little chestnut tree!

spudley · Post by **spudley** » 03 May 2009, 09:54

like bok boks my chickens will have ago at anything apart from the onion shoots spud shoots (but they are scratching at them like mad ripping of the leaves) and nettles. they will not touch the nettles, but everything else is fair game. In fact it has gotten so bad that we cant go anywhere near the veg patch while they are out as they just follow us and destroy!!!!! They are just trashing everything, we are going to have to work out a way of fencing it of from them, which is a shame as they do keep the bugs down.