Shrubs in runs

[chookmike]

Hello all. As the little darlings have eaten every single living thing in their runs, we would like to have a few green things dotted around. When they are out in the garden we notice they don't like Rosemary, Bay, privet (spell) Hebe, Leylandii and a couple of others.

Any suggestions on what could cheer the place up and is non-toxic and non-palateable?

we are expecting Ivermectin in the post tomorrow. If anyone has any strong views about our continuing to eat/sell eggs please explain. For something that gets such good reviews in solving scaley mite, I find it frustrating that the manufacturers have not sought a licence - I appreciate the 'economy of scale' point, and please excuse the pun but it seems to me the animal pharmaceutical industry are missing out on a growing market, just as with bumblefoot.

Cheers

Mike

[HensAloud]

They don't like Lavander, I have Helebore still intact too, they seem to leave most shrubby things alone, oh and my plastic flowers are doing quite well !

[Brianfromdorset]

Id like to know this answer too Mike!
I put a large thyme plant in a pot in the corner of my run and it was bare within a day!
A few plants would look nice.

[LittleBrownFrog]

Be aware that if they do eat strongly scented things, then the taste can transfer to the eggs. I can't remember who it was that had trouble with Jasmine recently, but I'm sure someone else will recall.
Mine have eaten everything in their run in the few months they've been in this spot - all that's left is a tree stump and the apple tree.

[chookmike]

They don't like Lavander, I have Helebore still intact too, they seem to leave most shrubby things alone, oh and my plastic flowers are doing quite well !

Plastic flowers!! That's the answer surely! I have to admit that I was thinking of putting plastic 'Astroturf' in there too, but they'd eat that and die. Have written down Helebore and will look as I don't know that one. We have Lavender in the front garden so can move a few roots of that. We are going to rescue the gooseberry plants at Easter and also move a few raspberries they can get at if they try hard enough.

Brian - I read of your intention to put some Thyme in the run and knew you would be disappointed...Ours (in the garden) went in minutes along with the mint, chives and, sadly, the parsley, which I only, finally, got going two years ago. Quite hard to grow in my experience. I imagine we'll learn eventually but I know what we all need - 20 acres!

[HensAloud]

I have at the front of the house some very realistic flowers, I have caught many visitors out on the beauty of these very unusual blooms, I bluff it too, saying they ate very difficult to grow !

[chookmike]

I have at the front of the house some very realistic flowers, I have caught many visitors out on the beauty of these very unusual blooms, I bluff it too, saying they ate very difficult to grow !

Yes, I know they are extremely realistic now - just sit in any office or hotel lobby and they are mainly very clever imitations. Thinking about it a little more, whenever we hang anything yellow on the washing line, it gets covered in little black bugs, so if I get some sunflowers or similar then they get free food! Perhaps paint the fence yellow?

Is there any end to this hobby (for us anyway) every day seems to bring new ideas and also problems. Thanks for your reply. Cheers!

[morbidia]

I was told they don't eat Helebores too, I have yet to buy some as I didn't believe it but will now try and see what happens, I am looking for flowers for my garden to brighten it up, I have a rhodendron and an azalea that they leave alone which is good because I think they are both toxic for hens, mind you Ivy is supposed to be toxic too and my garden is covered in it and it gets eaten by my girls

[Bridgets Mum]

I think my chickens would destroy and/or eat anything in their run - although wierdly they don't touch the kale that is growing in their free range bit. They trashed the hellebores though.
A number of years ago we went to Paradise Park in Hayle (wildlife, birdy sort of place). I remember being very impressed with the planting in their aviaries but I didn't keep chickens then and didn't take as much notice as I would now. Probably they had well behaved birds.

[julie62]

I put a buddlea in my run which was already quite big - if you've any hardy shrubs like that that are quite tall so they cant reach the top leaves they seem to survive. I've also planted a fig tree in there as they're not very interested in that. The buddlea is good in summer though because they grow quickly it provides quite a bit of shade.

[KathJ]

Hi Mike, someone's just posted that their girls don't like Lavender but my girls love it. They strip it bear and then trample all over it for good measure When we got the girls last year we had a lot of hyssops in pots and they were completely back to bare sticks within a couple of weeks

[aishakali]

Just plant Savoy cabbages My lot wouldn't dream of eating them and neither will my sisters 6 in NZ. You will then have greenery and something edible too

[HazellB]

Privet is poisonous (slowly, like us smoking) so I wouldn't plant that as they're bound to start nibbling eventually.

I had assorted Natidas, but they've eaten them this winter after years of not bothering them, so all we have left in our hen paddock is a collection of small trees and buddleja now. There's three small box plants that I had planned to grow as a triangle to offer permanent dry bathing areas between, but they're hardly growing thanks to root disturbance - something even the 15 year old hazel hedge is slowed down by.

In short, go plastic or go 10 foot trees!

[KathJ]

With regard to the savoy cabbages I put half in the run at the beginning of last week on a stick stuck into a piece of wood that I also put a broccoli head on for them. Anyway, the savoy cabbage sat there for three days without being touched so I thought they didn't want it. Took it off the stick and put it on the floor and it was gone in an hour

[Annie]

So chickens dont like Hellebores - look them up, decide you like them and then imagine them without leaves - my hens however were very good and left the flowers alone.
My buddleias are ok but they are pretty well established and big , they seem to leave the viburnum alone too (wouldn't be surprised if that was poisonous as it gives off a horrible smell from the sap when pruned) and the weigela are still in tact but all of these shrubs were well established pre chickens.
Apart from eating the plants , I found equal damage was done by their big scratchy toes, digging up and exposing the roots of plants .
Personally I would forget plants in the run and think about plants outside the run maybe in containers, then if they FR damage is minimised.