Thinking of Vines to Offer Food and Shade to the Chickens

[LifeSimpleAndSweet]

I remember sitting underneath an old grapevine that was growing just outside the chicken yard when I was a child.
We'd go into the yard, sit under the shade and play with the chickens who loved to peck at the leaves and tiny, unripe grapes that snuck through the wire.
We would eat the little sour balls as well.

I'm thinking of having something similar. Not a grapevine, though. Something that could grow rapidly, offer food and shade, and survive the pecking and pulling that would take place.

So I wondered if anyone has found something they like to incorporate that way.

I'm thinking of trying Malabar Spinach this year, which supposedly reseeds very well.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I wish you the best of luck - I had some for a season, didn't grow well, didn't overwinter, and the birds largely ignored it.

 

[Sally PB]

Does it taste somewhat like spinach? I'd give it a try. Oh, and what is the leaf texture like?

I grew something that was supposed to "taste like spinach," and it sort of did. But the leaves were fuzzy. Maybe they would have been ok steamed, but it didn't grow very well anyway.

 

[AnnPann]

Cucumbers! The vines grow super fast, have lots of leaves and provide food! I grew some up the outside of the run last year, and even though the chickens could peck at it through the fence, they left it alone. Unfortunately they also left the cucumber beetles alone too, but it provided some great natural shade!

 

[Ms Biddy]

The nice thing about grapes is that chickens can't actually destroy the vines and they're perennial. Otherwise, beans, squash, peas, gourds, cucumber all could be options. Kiwis are a perennial vining fruit and there are thornless berries like blackberries and boysenberries too.