Planting in the run

[JoCin]

Hello BYC! We are on our first full year of chickens and loving every minute of it. We don't free range, but have a very large 2nd run (about 400sq. ft.) off their main run and would like to plant some bushes, shrubs, etc. this spring that will attract some insects for them and enrich their lives overall. I know we can do butterfly bushes. Any other ideas? We live in Central Illinois (Zone 6) for growing. Thanks.

 

[DobieLover]

I have Arrowwood Viburnum, Ninebark, maiden grass and sedum plantings in my chickens run among other shrubs. They particularly love the viburnum when it develops berries.
I would plant the largest shrubs you can and pin a 2-3' ring of chicken wire around the base of each shrub after planting to keep the chickens from digging them up or killing them by damaging their roots.
When the shrubs reach maturity they will also offer some aerial predator protection.
You can also try serviceberry and old style quince.

 

[Loving my girls]

When my hubby built my coop for me I had an image of a lovely green run with flowers and … omg what was I thinking ?
I can’t even get lavender to grow there and that grows in concrete !

 

[LaFleche]

Jostaberry and elderberry can grow quite tall providing them with shade, shelter and lovely berries for many years to come.

 

[Bawkbok]

I know we can do butterfly bushes.

Keep in mind butterfly bushes attract many bees - we have one - far away from the coop. Chickens don't eat the bees but they might get stung by one.

 

[K0k0shka]

Whatever you plant, definitely put a permanent (and tall) ring of chicken wire around the base of it, to protect not just the roots, but the bark as well. My jerks peeled the bark off the bottom of an otherwise indestructible large forsythia shrub I had in their run (which predated the chickens by about a decade and was well established and huge). Well, that killed most of it. Be careful how you set up the chicken wire though, so the chickens can't fly/jump up into the shrub above the wire, then fall in and get trapped in the cage. That happened to me, too, so I had to make the wire very tall and attach it to the branches in a way what prevents any adventurers from getting inside.

 

[paintedChix]

Besides all these wonderful ideas, you can check out these threads -

Trees in run - https://www.facebook.com/share/r/H5YnpdPQwLcjQYqW/?mibextid=oFDknk

(Not the one i thought it was)

'Chicken Food Tower' -
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-food-tower.1480872/

Thread 'Plants In The Chicken Run! A Mini Forest For Chickens!' https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...icken-run-a-mini-forest-for-chickens.1540569/

Edit - this is what I thought i liked under "Trees" above. Woooooww!

 

[paintedChix]

And several YouTube videos -

Sean @ Edible Acres - lots of chicken videos, feeding chickens & composting w/ chickens - NY

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLihFHKqj6Jeog3qoYlmhOPt_eElEhNMpH&si=H6NGozISsYVlBssT

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLihFHKqj6JerKruLfMcxdNKDRHkGxgwwz&si=Z4IdYQ4L9KCGKzQ4

And on the Oregon coast w/ a TINY chicken operation in comparison - Park Rose Permaculture -

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw-_0LHhyR2eRqkIBs4ER-D7nZJpSERhp&si=VwCCz6Qngu3tqWuJ

Porterhouse & Teal -

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjTEg8UxC5vwSMoD-C3LtFst7gsXmiTs1&si=08m9AdbEqK6m-1PW

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjTEg8UxC5vweI5vvCyo5n8v2VDqtqmvv&si=qfWy2-jnpUTZYIpu

I'm sure there are many more. These are some I've been, or now will be, using.

 

[Granny23]

When my hubby built my coop for me I had an image of a lovely green run with flowers and … omg what was I thinking ?
I can’t even get lavender to grow there and that grows in concrete !

Yeah, I had a nice green lawn in my backyard with my 4 hens... and I let them free-range,..Need I explain??
Now I have grass again but my 8 girls aren't on it now unless they are supervised for a little while.