fruiting hedge/bush for chickens?

[Ralph_Mueller]

Looking for some suggestions for a good fruiting bush, preferably one that can also serve as a good wind blocker too. I want something that would be good for my chickens to eat. Any suggestions?

 

[Perris]

It is difficult to advise without info on your location and climate.

 

[DobieLover]

Ralph,

As @Perris has stated, this is certainly one of those times where having your general area posted is crucial to providing useful feedback. To add that information to your profile follow these steps.

 

[Ralph_Mueller]

Ralph,

As @Perris has stated, this is certainly one of those times where having your general area posted is crucial to providing useful feedback. To add that information to your profile follow these steps.
View attachment 4122963View attachment 4122964

I will look into that and get it updated. Otherwise i am in California and in a 9B climate

 

[perkolator]

Are you trying to plant this inside their run, or a perimeter outside the run, or in your yard, etc? Anything inside the run must be caged/protected or they'll kill it sooner than later.

I'm in 9b and have many types of plants the chickens can eat when foraging. Mainly they'll only go for grasses and tasty "weeds", or seed pods of veggies/herbs I let mature (cilantro, peas, etc); but they'll go for something like leafy brassica plants or lettuce, etc and will decimate that crop if you don't cage it off.

Around my run I've been trying to plant things close by or on the run fence -- sunchokes, cucumbers, peas, comfrey, fennel, mints, summer squash. I also buy 5lb bags of cover crop seed blend and plant it every fall, and the chickens will go for that stuff - rye, wheat, peas, clover, vetch, triticale, collards, radishes, mustard, etc. I've only done it a few times but this fall/winter, I plan to do more of growing the cover crop in trays like a fodder system.

If you're looking for year-round protection, you may want an evergreen plant (for example: pineapple guava/feijoa, strawberry tree, bay laurel, etc. - I have all those BTW and never seen a chicken eat anything off them). Otherwise I'd plan to plant annual stuff, such as veg crops that both chickens and humans will eat (something like tree collards are perennial though, and chickens will eat those greens)

Good luck!

 

[Ralph_Mueller]

Are you trying to plant this inside their run, or a perimeter outside the run, or in your yard, etc? Anything inside the run must be caged/protected or they'll kill it sooner than later.

I'm in 9b and have many types of plants the chickens can eat when foraging. Mainly they'll only go for grasses and tasty "weeds", or seed pods of veggies/herbs I let mature (cilantro, peas, etc); but they'll go for something like leafy brassica plants or lettuce, etc and will decimate that crop if you don't cage it off.

Around my run I've been trying to plant things close by or on the run fence -- sunchokes, cucumbers, peas, comfrey, fennel, mints, summer squash. I also buy 5lb bags of cover crop seed blend and plant it every fall, and the chickens will go for that stuff - rye, wheat, peas, clover, vetch, triticale, collards, radishes, mustard, etc. I've only done it a few times but this fall/winter, I plan to do more of growing the cover crop in trays like a fodder system.

If you're looking for year-round protection, you may want an evergreen plant (for example: pineapple guava/feijoa, strawberry tree, bay laurel, etc. - I have all those BTW and never seen a chicken eat anything off them). Otherwise I'd plan to plant annual stuff, such as veg crops that both chickens and humans will eat (something like tree collards are perennial though, and chickens will eat those greens)

Good luck!

Thanks I will keep this in mind. I am looking for something that will hedge up a bit and be grown outside their enclosure. Doesn't have to be evergreen but I would like it to produce something that the chickens can safely consume when it drops.

 

[NatJ]

Thanks I will keep this in mind. I am looking for something that will hedge up a bit and be grown outside their enclosure. Doesn't have to be evergreen but I would like it to produce something that the chickens can safely consume when it drops.

Maybe think about what kind of fruit trees are commonly grown in your area.

Then think whether the fruit is good for chickens to eat, how easy it is for them to eat, whether it produces fruit over a long time or a short time, whether you want to be able to store some fruit for later.

Mulberries drop little fruits that are easy for chickens to eat.
Apples have fruits that you may be able to store for later, if it makes too many at once.
Peaches have soft skins that would be easy for chickens to peck through.
Avocados have tougher skins, and you might have to break the fruits open for chickens to eat the insides.
Oranges have tough skins and some people recommend not giving citrus fruits to chickens, so maybe not the best choice.
Blueberries make a bush rather than a tree.
Coconuts are probably not easy for a chicken to eat.

(Not sure which of those would or wouldn't work for your climate, just mentioning some things in the hope that one or another will spark some useful ideas.)

 

[Altairsky]

Raspberries are my chickens favorite bush.
Mine produce fruits from spring to frost.

 

[Ralph_Mueller]

Maybe think about what kind of fruit trees are commonly grown in your area.

Then think whether the fruit is good for chickens to eat, how easy it is for them to eat, whether it produces fruit over a long time or a short time, whether you want to be able to store some fruit for later.

Mulberries drop little fruits that are easy for chickens to eat.
Apples have fruits that you may be able to store for later, if it makes too many at once.
Peaches have soft skins that would be easy for chickens to peck through.
Avocados have tougher skins, and you might have to break the fruits open for chickens to eat the insides.
Oranges have tough skins and some people recommend not giving citrus fruits to chickens, so maybe not the best choice.
Blueberries make a bush rather than a tree.
Coconuts are probably not easy for a chicken to eat.

(Not sure which of those would or wouldn't work for your climate, just mentioning some things in the hope that one or another will spark some useful ideas.)

While i do appreciate the response, I do know there is a vast number of options. Part of why i am specifically asking if anyone had information regarding what worked best for them. Mainly trying to narrow down my options and see what chickens generally like and benefit from the most.

 

[Ralph_Mueller]

Raspberries are my chickens favorite bush.
Mine produce fruits from spring to frost.

That's a good start. They do tend to cane upwards too.