Integrating beneficial plants into the chicken run and surrounding areas significantly improves the health and happiness of a backyard flock. This strategy enhances the environment by offering natural forage, necessary shade, and mental enrichment. Supplementing commercial feed with fresh greens boosts the birds’ nutritional intake, leading to vibrant egg yolks and stronger immune systems. Establishing a planted run transforms a dusty enclosure into a more natural and stimulating habitat. Success requires understanding which plants offer the most value and how to protect them from enthusiastic foragers until they are established.
Nutritional Plants for Foraging
Chickens thrive on a diverse diet, and specific plants can significantly supplement their nutritional needs for protein, vitamins, and minerals. Legumes, such as alfalfa and various clovers (red and white), are valuable sources of protein and fiber. Their deep roots help them tolerate the heavy grazing and scratching common in a run environment, while the amino acids they provide support egg production and gut health.
Leafy greens are packed with vitamins A and K. Options like kale and Swiss chard are beneficial, as kale provides carotenoids that contribute to the deep yellow color of egg yolks. Perennial herbs, including comfrey and dandelion, are also excellent forage choices, offering trace minerals and vitamins.
Cover crops, such as peas, oats, and various vetch species, supply protein and fiber while improving soil structure. Peas offer a crude protein content ranging from 20% to 29%, providing a substantial nutritional boost. Foraging on these crops encourages natural behaviors, reducing boredom. Herbs like dill and coriander also offer nutritional benefits and may possess mild antimicrobial properties.
Plants for Shelter and Shade
Certain plants improve the microclimate and structure of the chicken run, serving a functional purpose beyond nutrition. Providing ample shade is important for regulating the flock’s body temperature, as chickens are susceptible to heat stress during warm months. Small, hardy shrubs or trees planted just outside the run perimeter, such as mulberries or Siberian pea shrubs, can cast dappled shade over the enclosure as they mature.
Mulberry trees are useful because their dropped berries are a favored treat, and the foliage offers dense overhead cover from sun and aerial predators. Fast-growing, non-invasive clumping bamboo can be planted along the run’s edge to act as a windbreak and privacy screen. Within the run, hardy plants like lemongrass or arrowroot, which have strong root systems, can establish themselves to provide low-level ground cover and shade pockets.
Aromatic plants can contribute to a healthier environment by deterring pests; marigolds, for instance, are often planted near coops because their scent helps repel flying insects. Establishing tough, tall plants like sunflowers inside the run, protected until mature, provides both shade and a harvest of oil-rich seeds. Varied vegetation also helps prevent the run from becoming a barren dust bowl, reducing soil erosion.
Plants to Avoid in the Chicken Area
Many common garden and landscape plants contain toxins that pose a serious risk if ingested, even though chickens generally avoid harmful vegetation. The nightshade family presents a common danger, as plants like tomato, potato, and eggplant contain glycoalkaloids, such as solanine, particularly in their leaves and unripe fruits. Raw potato peels are also hazardous and should be kept away from foraging birds.
Chickens must be prevented from accessing ornamental plants, which often contain potent toxins. Examples include foxglove, which contains cardiac glycosides, and oleander, which is severely toxic and can affect the heart. Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid and can be harmful, even though the stalks are safe for human consumption.
The pits and leaves of stone fruits like apricots and cherries contain cyanogenic glycosides, which release cyanide when metabolized. Uncooked dried beans, which contain the toxin phytohaemagglutinin, must also be avoided, though cooking neutralizes this compound. Always identify existing or newly introduced plants in the chicken area to ensure they are not on the extensive list of plants that can cause illness.
Successful Planting Strategies
The main challenge in planting a chicken run is establishing vegetation before the birds scratch and consume it. Chickens are drawn to newly disturbed soil, often destroying young plants simply by digging at the base. To counter this, protective caging or fencing around individual plants is necessary until the roots are well-established and the stems are robust.
One effective technique is the use of grazing boxes, which are shallow frames covered with hardware cloth that allow green shoots to grow through the mesh, providing forage while protecting the roots. Planting resilient cover crops like oats or clover and temporarily resting the area allows plants to develop a strong root base before grazing begins.
Rotational grazing is the most sustainable strategy, involving dividing the run into sections and allowing the flock access to only one section at a time. This method gives the other sections time to regrow and recover from intensive foraging pressure. For permanent plantings, establishing trees and shrubs outside the main scratching area and allowing the canopy to grow into the run is a low-maintenance solution. Redirecting the chickens’ desire to scratch by providing a designated diversion area with loose compost can draw their attention away from new vegetation.