Using Chicken Run fence as a trellis for climbing food plants?

[gtaus]

I’m so glad you asked because I was thinking of doing the same thing.

I just looked at all the beautiful new fencing and thought to myself, why leave it bare? That is a lot of potential trellis action that I should be able to tap into.

 

[gtaus]

Two ideas, and I'd do both.

1) Have HC up the chicken side of the fence high enough to protect the plants.
2) Have a second chicken wire fence on the outside of the fence for the plants to climb. Make it a "lean to" fence that starts a few (4-5?) inches away from the main fence so that the plants can get a good start climbing before the get close enough to be pecked at.

Chickens ripping off a wandering leaf that ends up in their run shouldn't be enough to damage the plant once it gets growing. This could be a nice bit of shade, and a source of food.

Thanks @Sally PB, I like your #2 suggestion with planting the beans a number of inches away from the fencing, and using the 2 foot high chicken wire as a "lean to". That should protect the young plant as it grows and by the time it reaches the main chicken run fencing, it would be too high for the chickens to bother it. As @SueT noted, you only have to protect the young plant because the chickens lose interest in the grown plant. So I just have to plant the beans far enough from the fencing so the chickens cannot pull out the young plant by the roots.

I also thought of your #1 suggestion, but I don't know if that would be necessary if the #2 idea works like I think it will. I can always add HC later, if needed, but at the moment I have lots of unused chicken wire.

BTW, I added another 340 square feet to my chicken run, all lawn grass. So today I threw down a grazing frame over a section of the new grassy run to protect the grass from being ripped out by the roots. I'll be looking over my old scrap wood to see if I can make some more grazing frames. Might as well try to preserve some of that grass while it is still there. I am thinking of putting the grazing frames on the inside of the fence where I hope to grow the beans on the outside of the fence. I think I'll call it my chicken "Green Zone" if it works out.

 

[SueT]

I should add, my chickens haven’t bothered the vines, but depending on the situation, yours could be different. Chickens can destroy plants they don’t want to eat just because they have nothing else to do. It’s fun to peck at stuff, it’s in their nature to investigate, you’ll just have to see. Beans grow like weeds, it won’t hurt to try.

 

[gtaus]

it won’t hurt to try.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. The good suggestions from so many people will just help me avoid some mistakes they know about. But, like you said, nothing much to lose by trying.

 

[Sally PB]

I think I'll call it my chicken "Green Zone" if it works out.

And post pictures too, she added, hopefully.

 

[gtaus]

And post pictures too, she added, hopefully.

Nothing much to look at now, but yes, if I get a "Green Zone" established and it works out, I'll take a few pics.

 

[perkolator]

Twining vines like beans are very difficult to remove from the wire because the entangled vines are tough and tangled.

I use my weed burner on stuff like that, works great and is soooo much more fun to do. Just be careful obviously.

 

[gtaus]

I use my weed burner on stuff like that [Twining vines like beans are very difficult to remove from the wire], works great and is soooo much more fun to do. Just be careful obviously.

I don't have a weed burner, but I have used my propane torch kit with those 1 lb propane tanks to burn stuff off. Same thing, only different, I imagine.

 

[Peas4Ducks]

I think this is a lovely idea but also want to point out that I’ve read in numerous sources that even small quantities of raw beans are toxic to chickens. I haven’t had experience with this and it seems like others here haven’t had an issue with it, but it still seems important to bring up.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Two ideas, and I'd do both.

1) Have HC up the chicken side of the fence high enough to protect the plants.
2) Have a second chicken wire fence on the outside of the fence for the plants to climb. Make it a "lean to" fence that starts a few (4-5?) inches away from the main fence so that the plants can get a good start climbing before the get close enough to be pecked at.

My set up is pretty similar to this.

I do peas on the back of my run. I have a raised bed about 16" tall as well as HWC up the run about 2' or so, as the chickens have in the past reached through and torn up the stem, killing the plant, but a few leaves make it in where if the chickens jump or climb on a nearby platform, they can reach them to nibble on them. I also shuck and toss in fresh peas that are overmatured or otherwise not ideal for eating.

In order for the plants to get enough support to reach the fence to start climbing, I use stiff bird netting and bamboo supports to give the plants something to cling to, until they're tall enough to reach and attach to the run fence.

I really should get a photo since it's easier than typing this out.