Plants for the Chicken Run That Just Don't Quit!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ส.ค. 2021
- RSM loves chickens, and she loves plants! And it's a beautiful feeling when you can combine the two. RSM has a video to teach you about three plants that are chicken run superheroes! These three plants are vines or ground cover so they spread over time, are safe for your backyard flock to snack on, and aren't picky to being nibbled on - they'll just keep growing back! And then get a bonus idea at the end, for more plants to have in your chicken run that reap benefits for birds and humans alike!
THE CHICKEN TENDER'S JOURNAL IS LIVE AND READY FOR PURCHASE! RSM is so happy to offer this to the community and really appreciates your support. realsimplemama.com/the-chicke...
![[TH] VCT Pacific - Playoffs Grand Final // PRX vs GEN](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/G345ud5yRGA/mqdefault.jpg)
I recommend wire cloches to cover the plants. The chickens can only eat what grows out of it.
Seems any herbs that go with a roast chicken will go with live chickens too😄
😆
😂😂😂
Oregano is a natural antibiotic and is like catnip for chickens we give them some weekly.
Thank you Sara this is great information. I hope all is well with you. I haven’t seen one of your videos for a while. Life has been hectic. God bless you Girlfriend.❤️🙏 it is absolutely beautiful. Good job.❤️🙏
Since I've got free ranging girls, it's hard to find plants that they won't dig up, eat, poop on or ruin! Your area looks lush and beautiful!
Lots of fresh greens will sometimes cause green yolks. Green eggs and ham is a real thing! Ha! Who knew? I just learned that recently.
I grow grapes, comfrey, elderberries, blue berries and arona berries. Blue berries do not like it. Too much nitrogen in the soil I have to treat with vinegar water regularly. But the grapes and elderberries are happy there. Strawberries are good I have a patch close by and my chicks get what grows outside the fence. Strawberries love chicken bedding as their mulch. So I'm guessing they'd do well around a chicken run if you don't free range. My grapes grow up the sides of the run and the chickens love the shade, leaves and grapes.
I feed my chickens herbs regularly and was looking up information for what herbs would grow well next to a chicken run and found your video. Thanks for the ideas!
We also planted an apple tree near by for shade and treats. The comfrey also benefits the fruit. The roots keep the soil loose in clay soils and the nitrogen produce by the comfrey is fantastic for fruit trees.
Don't get me started on the benefits of comfrey. I also make lotion and booboo balm with it. All around good stuff. It the attracks pollinators and the chickens love to nibble on the leaves and to eat the blossoms.
This is so great! Thanks! Right now my grapevines are the champions, my chickens already have a ton of shade this year and it’s exploding with bunches of grapes! ✌🏻❤️🐓🌱☀️
I’m going to go move my sweet potato vine now. Thank you
It’s really easy to propagate too! Everyone loves free plants! ✌🏻❤️🐓
That is Malabar spinach, it is not a true spinach but has similar taste and you cook it the same way. Like sweet potatoe greens it produces a lot of folliage and can easily tolerate frequent harvesting for either humans or chickens. But when you buy seeds, search for malabar spinach, not normal spinach.
Malabar spinach will usually reseed itself but you can also save seeds to replant next year.
I popped some elderberry and currant cuttings as well as a mulberry seedling right outside my run- hoping it will just be a berry buffet (and shade) for my hens! Comfrey too!!!!
Careful with elderberry. I have read the stems and leaves are deadly.
That is Malabar spinach right? I also recommend Nasturtiums!
Yep! And hmmm I’d never thought of nasturtiums but I planted them at my old house! Thanks!
That is definitely Malabar spinach, not normal spinach. Be careful where you plant it, reseeds like crazy lol.
So glad you clarified. I was like spinach is not a vine... Or am I growing it wrong I was so confused.
Awesome content...thank you!
Plus, greens = beautiful deep yellow egg yolks.
Thanks for sharing 💜
i really love your paradise like garden and chicken coops
I grow turnips, elderberry and Mexican sunflower in the run. The sunflower, they love to jump up and tear the leaves and flowers off (the trunk is wired off) and whatever flowers are left will dry and drop the seeds that they will also eat.
Ive always wanted to grow elderberry! And I actually have sunflowers outside the run but as I thin them out and they produce seeds, the chickens get them delivered. ✌🏻❤️🐓
Great info. Going to plant sweet potatoes and spinach because I have those on hand. Blessings!
The sweet potato vine and purple heart are really pretty! I'll have to check whether these grow well over here! 🌿
Thank you for these suggestions. Easy plants that I already know about!!! I'm going shopping! 😂💛
Oh yes please do! Plants and chickens are my therapy ✌🏼❤️🐓🌱
Malabar spinach. Personally I prefer the red variety as well❤
I only want three chickens...lol. But I like this breed and those are gorgeous and these are great layers.
Comfrey is great too
Very nice chicken landscaping. I'm in progress. Thanks for the inspiration ❤️🐥
Thanks! I’m always looking for more ideas too so let me know what you do! I’m proud of you! ✌🏻❤️🐓
So glad to found your channel. We are keeping chickens and gardening in the same zone. This is inspiring! Our run was already established when we bought this place and covered in wisteria vine. The flock loves the leaves and flowers and takes OVER.
Yes I’m wanting to do more this year too! ✌🏻❤️🐓
@@realsimplemama well if you happen to live in East Texas, come pull up as much as you want! 😂
I’m growing goji berry. I have tons of Purple Heart already but I had no idea they could eat it! This is so helpful. I’m definitely gonna grow some spinach as well.
Oooh let me know about the goji berry too! ✌🏻❤️🐓
And alllllll of the Purple Heart on my property is from the same mother plant 😆 it’ll have different variegation too depending on how much sun it gets! And it’ll spread and come back every year after the freeze.
"When we're roasting -BEEP!!!!" Cut! LOL. Not in front of the children, Mama!
Oh I’m quite profane hahaha! But my kids know those are “driving words” (you can use them when you learn to drive) and I try to be kid-friendly on TH-cam. 🤪✌🏼❤️🐓
@@realsimplemama LOL, you reminded me of one of my friends at work. The way you speak. I thought you were going to say "when we're roasting chickens" and you stopped yourself because of the chick-dren/ladies there.
My chickens understand one word from me: bawk-bawk (not a loud squawk, but low tone and quick one). To them it means I have a good treat (Grub Terra) or roaches from the compost pile. If they cannot free-ranging, like right now since 2 are still recovering from the dog attack, I catch roaches for them. When they are/were able free-ranging, I call them with that bawk-bawk when I either find a bunch of roaches and earwigs, or when I'm about to lift up pots or pallets or stones under which those insects like to hide during the day.
I have sweet potato plants in my yard that I have a mosquito net covering to keep my chickens out, haha. Just got a spinach plant too! It was great to hear how to start more plants.
I'm new to chickens, and they completely demolished my sweet potatoes in the back yard... Learning as I go, haha!
They are so easy to propagate! Hopefully then there will be enough for you AND your flock. ✌🏻❤️🐓
The entire sweet potato vine is edible for ppl as well.
It has been quite awhile since I touched base with you, as we have been traveling. I am expecting 5 new girls. 2 Polish,a Easter egger. Black Copper Marand and a Green Queen. I really enjoy you educated info. I am going to plant some more plants around my coop, but first I am expanding there run. Enjoy your lovely girls .
Hey!!!!! How have you been dear friend?!? How’s everyone been feeling??? So great to hear from you! ✌🏼❤️🐓 and it makes my heart so happy that you’re getting a new little flock. Welcome home ❤️❤️❤️
@@realsimplemama Thank you. We are doing well. My husband is still battling bladder cancer so it is a endless schedule of Dr. Appointments but he keeps trucking along. We just made a trip from Fl. To Az. Because it is so tiring for him to go that far we sold our van and are planning all further trips to stay in motels where he he get a better rest. I am m so looking forward to my new flock but they will not arrive until around the 20th of September. I hope all is well with your lovely family.
You're my newest chicken friend!!! NEW sub! Birds of a feather flock together😊 I am so excited to start working on our permaculture chicken run this year. We have been here going on 3rd year and it's time. Love your tips & have all 3 plants you suggested. My issue will be our double hot wire around our chicken run. I can't have anything growing on it. I do plan to divide the chicken run with a fence that will not have hot wire. I love climbing vines... lol This weekend I found an interesting plant....Chaya tree. I just made a video about it. I will definitely be planting a chaya in the run for nutrition for both chicken 's & humans🥰
Hi! Glad to have you here. ✌🏻❤️🐓
@@realsimplemama Thank you🥰
I'm new to chickens, but for what it's worth, mine love my newly sprouted sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke) plants. I'm going to have to move their pots further away. They are supposed to be good survival plants for people (the roots), they spread without effort, and hard to kill. In the sunflower family I believe.
Oh that’s interesting too! I’m not familiar with that plant at all. Maybe eventually you can have a batch for the chickens since the plants spread so easily, but then plenty for you too! ✌🏻❤️🐓
One can have many many plants around the chickens
Unfortunately our space isn't as wonderful as yours, but we must have every herb going spread around the garden, and around the hen house. Mint is a good one, it wafts the air when my girls have a peck, it's robust, and as you said rosemary, lemon balm. I found if they have a choice close together they take bits of each rather than attacking one plant. And mine love potato leaves. We are ready with some new seeds, spinach, rocket and cres. Ty mama😘🇬🇧
The old name for purple heart was Moses in a boat
Really?!? How interesting!
I'd love a video on good edible pond plants for chickens and fish.
Oh man! Let me do some research as I’m still so so new.
@@realsimplemama I have a 300 gallon stock tank in my 🐔 chicken coop. I finally got it cycled and I'm getting an algae bloom. I was going to stock the tank with minnows, and crayfish for tank management. I wanted to grow different edibles in the water to maintain health + feed everyone. Crayfish manages detritus along with plants, and minnows are a protein source for chickens and manages mosquitoes. I want to get it to a position where I never feed, just make sure plenty of water. BTW I think this is the healthiest source of water for any animal, drinking from a well maintained pond since it's teaming with beneficial bacteria and just I'm general a reliable water source. Plus so far the chickens absolutely love it, and choose it over waterbuckets. Plus I've seen them fishing for... minnows which is fun to watch.
Mint keeps away rodents as well...we have wild mint growing around the run. They can nibble it without killing it as well
Yea it can actually get to be quite invasive! But it’s great for so many things, for our chickens and for us. 😎✌🏻❤️🐓
Melissa it just keeps coming back
Hello,
I really enjoyed this video! It got me thinking about stuff to grow around chicken coop. What do you think about cucumbers? Also I have 2 10x10 dog kennels for my run. It gets a lot of sun. So you think it would work to put cucumbers on chainlink fence?
Thanks in advance.
Joela
Hi! Yes! If you can protect the vines until they get too tall for the chickens to reach, they’ll provide food and shade. I have three grapevines that do just this! It makes such a difference with the sun. ✌🏻❤️🐓
@@realsimplemama Cool! Thank you so much!!!
I have grown cucumbers squash and pumpkins on the fence of my run. The chickens pluck off anything that pokes through the fence. There's sweet potatoes and basil around the bottom. I have in the past planted long beans in the fence and got a good laugh over chickens pulling off the bottoms of my beans.
Thanks, Sara! I’ve been struggling trying to find plants that my flock will not decimate! I ❤️ the hangjng garden idea! 🌿🪴👍🏻
I'm building a chicken coop right now, so I'm trying to introduce food production plants inside what will be the run, I hear lemon trees are good for runs, im thinking of adding plantains, im in the tropics, I like your sweet potato idea and trying out herbs.
Ooooh yes! They won’t eat any kind of citrus so that would be “safe” around chickens. Also hibiscus (they will eat it but it’s high in calcium so great for eggs!), any kind of fruit tree or vining plant like grapes, other flowering vines as well. And it’s great that plants bring in more bugs, lower temperature, and provide shade! I have a whole playlist here of “Chickens and your garden” ✌🏼❤️🐓🌱
Citrus don’t like their root zone being disturbed so just put a barrier so chickens won’t scratch there.
@@realsimplemama since yolk color can be affected by what they eat I can only imagine a very dark red yolk. I have dark maroon hibiscus where I live.
How do you grow all these plants in the TX hot weather!!! LOL Also, do you keep your chickens as pets, or do you get spring chickens every year? Thank you for your nice videos. 🙂
Hi! I keep my chickens as pets and add to the flock in cooler weather as I’m able, and as my crew ages. I had to baby some of the plants for a year with extra water but I plant in the autumn, and I purposely pick hardy Texas perennials who can take care of themselves after a while! ✌🏼❤️🐓
Hi! Thanks for the videos. May I ask what is the larger bushy plant next to the potted rosemary? Thank you!
Hi! On one side is a Silverado sage and the other is a Mexican bush sage. You probably meant the Silverado - super hardy and drought tolerant, I don’t even bother covering during freezes, and blooms profusely after a rain. Love em! ✌🏻❤️🐓
@@realsimplemama Thank you ! ❤
Is that a Plumeria tree in the pot next to the sweet potatoes? I have that same (I only want 3) sign that you have haha. I want to put a lot of plants around/in my chicken run. I'll have to look up the various herbs that chickens can eat, too. Thanks.
Hi! I do have plumeria around my yard, they’re one of my absolute favorites. And I have a whole playlist here called Chickens in Your Garden that talks all about the plants I have in with my flock! ✌🏻❤️🐓
Can chickens eat persimmons? I have a Japanese persimmon tree. They don't ripen until October...so a good fall treat. Also they like pumpkins. I got some Cherokee tan pumpkin seeds to plant. They are small pumpkins. I'm guessing that you could let them grow on your fence.
Hi! I don’t know about persimmons so look that up, but chickens can’t eat citrus (I don’t know if a persimmon counts as one or not). Pumpkins can grow vertically but you’ll have to make little hammocks for the pumpkins as they grow so they don’t rip off of the vines as they get heavy! ✌🏻❤️🐓
@@realsimplemama No, persimmons aren't citrus fruits. I understand that pumpkins are good for chickens. After Halloween, everyone throws them out. Free chicken food. 😊
Yep! It’s not been proven as to if it’s an actual dewormer but like you said it’s definitely free food!
@@lynnlamont3485 chickens can eat persimmons! I foraged some persimmons (just plain American from our woods) and the chicks had a field day with them!
@@rtom675 Thanks. I don't want my girls to just that nasty food in the bag.😊
Thank you for this informative video I've been wondering what plants I could add around my chicken coop. You mentioned that spinach is a vine but that is not correct. I think what you have there and what you meant to say is Malabar "Spinach" (It's not really spinach but a substitute) is a vine. Because that looks like Malabar to me -- which is a vine.
Hi! Yea you’re right it is Malabar. And I’ve also learned that it can’t handle zone 8b 🤣
@@realsimplemama I'm in 8A. I gave it a try once and I did my best but it couldn't handle the hot heat, even with partial shade.
Do you have a video on how you set up your run?
We are moving and want to set up something like yours. Probably exactly like yours. What do you use for materials? Do you have a netting on top?
Hi! Yeah! I have a whole playlist 😎 “Chicken coop and run design” has videos on the bird netting I use, the perimeter, etc. Check those out let me know if I can help more! Lots of cheap upcycled materials that get the job done. ✌🏻❤️🐓 theMama@realsimplemama.com
@@realsimplemama thank you. I watched your videos.
Love your set up. Do you have a link to the fencing you use and the stakes?
Hey! I forgot to respond to this! Email me if you still need help and I can find some links to send you.
What city are you at? I’m in Austin. Love your chicken area❤.
I’m around San Antonio! ✌🏻❤️🐓
Can you share what the plant is in the ground behind the rosemary? I have some bushes that work well in my chicken yard but not one like that. Thanks!
Hey! I have a whole playlist on here called “Chickens and your garden” but I bet you mean one of my sage or salvia. I have salvia greggii which come in pink, purple, or white; I also have Silverado sage which is a full evergreen and just a total hardcore plant. 😎 ✌🏻❤️🐓🌱☀️
Edit: FYI I keep getting unsubbed from your channel. Great ideas. Also doing the sweet potato, but not in or around the run yet. I've got a cover crop (daikon, vetch, clover, collards, grasses) growing in the run extension so they are itching to get in there and tear it all up. Another vine idea would be cow peas. Pink eye purple hull climb so would make a good edible canopy for them. I'm growing in 10 x 20 patches and they are part of my cover crop mix as well, but I love the idea of having them come up on the other side of the fence, so I'll be seeding some today at both the main and extended runs. The cow pea green create amazingly rich orange yokes. They are at least 20-25% of my flocks diet and they love them. The cooked beans are a healthy bonus for them as well.
Hey I’m so sorry about the weird unsubscribe thing. I haven’t heard of that before and I probably can’t do anything on my end - I wonder if you try on a different device? Let me know if I can help! ✌🏻❤️🐓
My chickens dont abide to any youtube diet for some reason, they dont eat sweet potatoes, comfrey and most things suggested to feed chickens. Have not tried Malabar spinach yet though.
And aloe Vera
Vinca is that okay for chickens
Hi! I actually am not sure. Do a quick Google search and see - I don’t have any in with my chickens but I have a ton of the plants! ✌🏻❤️🐓🌱
I went and looked it up - I didn’t find my specific type but looks like vinca and periwinkle in general are toxic. 😫
Talk to me about spinach... are your eggshells soft? Spinach is high in oxalic acid which can make that happen... just curious... thanks!
Hi! No we don’t have issues with the egg shell quality but it comes down to the balance - my chickens don’t have spinach as a significant part of their diet so it’s not really enough to make any significant changes!
@@realsimplemama makes sense. Thank you!
What spinach grows as a vine? Not familiar but super interested.
This is a variation of Malabar I think! ✌🏼❤️🐓
And aloe vera
Im in zone 8 and my sweet potatoes dint come back :( purple hear does. My sweet potatoes throw beautiful purple flowers in the AM. They're related to morning glories though, so the flowers bloom like the morning glories ❤
Oh no! Man I’m so sorry. I’m doing final inventory of my plants too to see who’s not going to make it. ✌🏻❤️🐓🌱
Any advice on plants that may help with the smell.
Hi! Lots of ideas! Look up what USDA zone you’re in too as that’ll help you with which plants thrive in your climate. Lots of herbs from lavenders, rosemary, mints, anything lemon (I love lemon balm and lemongrass), citronella is also great. I’d also recommend hanging baskets of aromatic flowers, and peat moss to spread on the ground. If you’re having odor issues, make sure you’re cleaning the coop regularly and getting rid of standing water. Hope that helps!
For sure Lavender!
Should only smell if wet so try to keep the run dry if possible with a thick layer of straw/mulch
Are purple potatoe vines good for chickens
Yes! They love sweet potato vines (but only the leaves) ✌🏼❤️🐓
I have a question about my chickens, they r not feeling well but idk wats wrong, they r pooping dry small poops and their crops r not filling they r just flat all the time, idk wats wrong, im hoping someone can give some ideas, idk if they ate something thats bad idk, i give them their dry food and some fermented. And thats wat their poops look like, their food with some white? Any ideas?
I’m not a vet but let’s get some more info. They have access to fresh clean water 24/7? And their food? What about access to grit? (This can be something you buy, or they find it out foraging.) ✌🏻❤️🐓
@@realsimplemama yes to all, they have water in different places, fresh, they have their food easily accessed, they have grit and they free range. Thats y i cant figure this out.
Didn’t realize spinach climbs
Malabar can! It’s wild to see 😎
I don’t have time to watch the whole video. Can anyone put it in a list since it’s not in her description?
There’s a list on my website. RealSimpleMama.com
I really liked this set up but I read that sweet potato vines are poisonous to dogs, so I'm afraid of risking it. Is there a breed of sweet potato that doesn't cause issues for cats and dogs?
Hi! That I don’t know. You could ask local farmers, nurseries, even the vet! Or look online. ✌🏻❤️🐓
That's Malabar spinach, which is a Vine, true spinach does not vine.
Don’t forget comfry
How about amaranth for chickens?
Hey! I’m not sure either.
Another gardener said that passion fruit wine is very good and it is true. I just bought one and the chickens are eating all the leaves up.
Hmmm. I’ll look into this more as I had been told that passion vine was poisonous to chickens (as are a lot of vines actually). ✌🏻❤️🐓
Plenty of Australians grow passion fruit vine on chicken runs.
Which varieties are safe?
I thought the same thing with passion fruit but my rabbits and chickens have been eating it, through the screen, and no one has died or gotten sick. It's a winner for me cuz I'm overrun by these vines!!
Do you let the chickens roam the yard ever? I let mine and I’m trying to make an oasis in my back yard but I’m afraid the chickens are going to kill everything’s
Hi! Honestly I used to. But it’s harder to keep them safe from aerial predators and they will destroy everything including grass - and what they don’t destroy they poop on. 🤣 So because I love gardening and I had small kids, I chose to give them a big space just for them. ✌🏻❤️🐓
Are vinca of any variety poisonous to chickens
I honestly can’t say as I don’t have experience. I’d do a quick Google search and scan the first few results to get a consensus. ✌🏼❤️🐓
Interested too
Oh - definitely very poisonous for hens
Vining spinach?
Yep! Could work too. I’ve had some in other videos too - problem is it’s so hot here that often times the spinach will just bolt which makes it bitter.
It is malabar spinach .
The spinach I plant doesn’t vine. ????
Malabar spinach does!
Hmm. I have never heard of that kind. Can it be grown anywhere in the US?
Hi! I would look it up with www.USDA.gov to see how compatible it is in your zone. (Honestly I’m in 8B and it struggled a lot.) Most greens are winter crops anyway but take a look! 🌱☀️❤️🐓
Malabar spinach???
Hi! Yes! The only issue is that it bolts quickly in the Texas heat. So that was frustrating for us humans as that makes it bitter.
What about plants deer won't mess with too. I even tried aloe Vera and succulents around my chicken run but the deer pulled out
Golden thrallis comes to mind. Small trees like red buds or lilacs or magnolias. There are a lot of others I’m sure but I have a fenced in yard in a suburban neighborhood so I’ve never had to research that! ✌🏻❤️🐓🌱
Central Florida these things grow like wildfire the sweet potatoes that is