Need advice for the best vines and plants for in a chicken run!

[ChaosMom]

… Would it be a good idea to make a mesh cover to put over the grass so that they can't get to the roots and dig it up but they can still eat it?

That’s what the forage frames are.

 

[bwasb]

I have a ton of wild grapes all over my land but my dog (that has full access to them) has never eaten a single grape. She may eat grape leaves on the rare occasion her stomach is upset, but never grapes themselves

I'm very happy that your dog hasn't had an issue, but grapes are very toxic to dogs and a singular grape can and has killed dogs. I come from a family of vets and they've had to to deal with dogs that got into grapes, raisins, or sultanas. None of us keep those items in the house because of the risk.

I'm not saying you need to tear out the grapevines, but OP mentioned planting some to shield her chickens, and I personally wouldn't install something that I know is toxic to my animals. A lot of folks don't know grapes are an issue, so I try to educate when I can.

 

[GGPig]

I have a fully enclosed chicken run and I wanted to plant some vines on the walls all around it. I would plant them on the outside of the run so that the chickens couldn't dig them up. I was thinking grape vines? I know grapes are toxic to chickens, but I think they won't eat them if they are toxic. Would you guys suggest different vines? I'm not set on Grape, it was just the first thing to come to mind. I want decently fast growing ones. The reason I want to plant vines on the walls is because: A-I love how it looks, B-my dog is always harassing the chickens through the fence (with vines, he wouldn't be able to see them), C-It would give them shade in the summer, D-It will attract bugs for the hens to eat, and E-It might help keep predators away(?). I live in Post Falls ID so I think I am in zone 6B (for plants). If I had vines all around the run, would it make it too dark? My run does not have a roof, but it does have a big tree in it. My run wall is made of this https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/red-brand-welded-wire-60-in-x-100-ft wire and is reinforced with wood posts every 4-5 ft or so.

I also want to plant some bushes inside the run for enrichment, but I think the chickens would just dig them up. Would there be any way I could put some sort of chicken wire over the dirt near the bushes so that they can't uproot them, without inhibiting the growth of the plant? If there is, what bushes would you suggest for inside a chicken run? Incase it matters, my run is about 301.438 sq ft, and I have 9 hens.

Depending on where you are, native honeysuckle. For my area, Trumpet honeysuckle is native and very hardy, and grows like crazy, without being invasive.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

I'm very happy that your dog hasn't had an issue, but grapes are very toxic to dogs and a singular grape can and has killed dogs. I come from a family of vets and they've had to to deal with dogs that got into grapes, raisins, or sultanas. None of us keep those items in the house because of the risk.

I'm not saying you need to tear out the grapevines, but OP mentioned planting some to shield her chickens, and I personally wouldn't install something that I know is toxic to my animals. A lot of folks don't know grapes are an issue, so I try to educate when I can.

Poisonous plants are everywhere in nature. I have a large variety of them all over the place here. Pokeweed, jessamine, holly, and dogfennel to name just a few. Grapes too are absolutely everywhere and uniquely poisonous to dogs alone. However despite the abundance of poisonous plants not one creature here has ever been poisoned

Frankly I think if something is foolish enough to poison itself then that's just natural selection

 

[Bolfreak]

What zone are you in? That might help select plants that will grow well where you are.
Looking at your run/fence it’s strong enough to maybe pot things in hanging baskets that will trail down and give them something to peck at without destroying the whole plant. Think upside down tomatoes (nobody freak out, my birds constantly poach my garden for stuff and they’re not poisoned).
Blackberries take awhile to get big and you have to leave the empty canes to fruit next year…long con.
Planting ‘birdseed’ usually doesn’t work as the seeds have been treated to prevent germination and increase shelf life, but if you can find a heirloom type seed that’s not treated, grasses are great like millet.
Watermelon will vine and makes yummy treats for birds. Cucumber and squashes are similar but avoid gourd/decorative ones that can be very bitter, toxicity? Google says everything is toxic so you really need an experienced opinion.
Consider plants for pollinators as a double whammy. I’ve seen my birds eat Lantana berries- Google toxic - and they’re all still alive, plus I now have Lantana plants in unusual areas
Also, sunflowers make a nice visual barrier, all parts edible (the stalk is a bit fibrous, only my horses like this part), beautiful flowers and pollinators love it (will attract squirrels and rabbits, too, something appropriate for your dog to chase!
You can always do a temp fence with stakes and hardware mesh or netting until whatever it is grows enough to withstand poultry pruning efforts.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

What zone are you in? That might help select plants that will grow well where you are.
Looking at your run/fence it’s strong enough to maybe pot things in hanging baskets that will trail down and give them something to peck at without destroying the whole plant. Think upside down tomatoes (nobody freak out, my birds constantly poach my garden for stuff and they’re not poisoned).
Blackberries take awhile to get big and you have to leave the empty canes to fruit next year…long con.
Planting ‘birdseed’ usually doesn’t work as the seeds have been treated to prevent germination and increase shelf life, but if you can find a heirloom type seed that’s not treated, grasses are great like millet.
Watermelon will vine and makes yummy treats for birds. Cucumber and squashes are similar but avoid gourd/decorative ones that can be very bitter, toxicity? Google says everything is toxic so you really need an experienced opinion.
Consider plants for pollinators as a double whammy. I’ve seen my birds eat Lantana berries- Google toxic - and they’re all still alive, plus I now have Lantana plants in unusual areas
Also, sunflowers make a nice visual barrier, all parts edible (the stalk is a bit fibrous, only my horses like this part), beautiful flowers and pollinators love it (will attract squirrels and rabbits, too, something appropriate for your dog to chase!
You can always do a temp fence with stakes and hardware mesh or netting until whatever it is grows enough to withstand poultry pruning efforts.

I am in zone 6b.
I decided against planting a blackberry because I don't want to have to pull out all the offspring.
I have a big catnip plant in my yard and I took and branch of that to plant in the chicken run (I'm letting it get bigger first).
The reason I decided to just plant their chicken feed is because I have seen it spout before, but the chickens eat it before it gets big. I had volunteer sunflowers grow in my compost last year and those were great! They grew because of my chicken feed getting in the compost. We will see how it goes. Not the end of the world if it doesn't work.
Thanks for all the great tips!