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

[gtaus]

I just added 26 feet of 6 foot tall 2X4 welded wire fencing to the length to my chicken run. I am wondering if anyone uses their chicken run fence as a trellis for climbing food plants such as beans, cucumbers, squash, etc...? It seems a shame to leave all that great fencing bare when it could possibly be put to use a trellis.

I am thinking that if I added some 24 inch high chicken wire to the bottom of the fence, then the chickens would not poke their heads through the wire and bite off the growing vine(s) on the outside of the fence.

If anyone has tried growing climbing food plants on their chicken run fence, I would like to hear your story and lessons learned. I am thinking my back wall of the chicken run fence filled with climbing beans would look awesome and provide lots of food for the table. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[MissE]

With 26 feet of beans, it won't matter if the chickens eat a few. If you leave the chicken wire a few inches from the 2x4 wire, beans should be safe. The vine will wrap around the wire, so one good peck near the bottom could end the entire plant. You'll want the chicken wire far enough away they can't touch the 2x4 wire, but not so far away that a chicken could fit between the two.

 

[Callender Girl]

I've seen similar things done on Pinterest. But, I think my devious girls would find some way to ruin any of my attempts. Good luck, and I'd love to hear how it works out.

 

[3KillerBs]

It may or may not be possible to grow something like cucumbers that clings by tendrils, but climbing beans twine around their support and I would expect the chickens to destroy them.

Here's a handy illustration:

 

[Sally PB]

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.

 

[SueT]

Every year I plant pole beans along the chicken run. On the outside, and I protect the tiny plants from the chickens. When the plants are big, the chickens don't bother them and we get lots of beans. The chickens don't really like green beans....

 

[Fishychix]

I just added 26 feet of 6 foot tall 2X4 welded wire fencing to the length to my chicken run. I am wondering if anyone uses their chicken run fence as a trellis for climbing food plants such as beans, cucumbers, squash, etc...? It seems a shame to leave all that great fencing bare when it could possibly be put to use a trellis.

I am thinking that if I added some 24 inch high chicken wire to the bottom of the fence, then the chickens would not poke their heads through the wire and bite off the growing vine(s) on the outside of the fence.

If anyone has tried growing climbing food plants on their chicken run fence, I would like to hear your story and lessons learned. I am thinking my back wall of the chicken run fence filled with climbing beans would look awesome and provide lots of food for the table. Thanks for any suggestions.

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

 

[3KillerBs]

A note,

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

Cucumbers will always try to grow on the sunniest side of the trellis no matter how much you try to train the vine to the side you want them on.

 

[gtaus]

Every year I plant pole beans along the chicken run. On the outside, and I protect the tiny plants from the chickens. When the plants are big, the chickens don't bother them and we get lots of beans. The chickens don't really like green beans....

Nothing beats experience, and if you can learn from others, then it's all the better. I knew it was important to protect the young plants, but I did not know that the chickens would lose interest in the bean plants when established. Thanks.

 

[gtaus]

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

I have grown beans on a trellis out in the garden for a few years. I don't have much problem removing the old vines of the beans variety I grew out in the garden. What I cannot break off my hand, I'll snip off with a pair of garden shears. If I grow beans on the chicken run fence, I might just leave the dead vines on the fencing for partial cover/shade for the run.