Hailey here; I reside in the backwoods of northwest Illinois. I have a strong passion for both gardening and keeping hens, so I wanted to provide them with a space that was both aesthetically pleasing and complemented my gardening aesthetic. Since I started working on my chicken coop garden, it has really taken shape into something lovely.
Because chickens like to eat and peck at plants, it can occasionally be challenging for gardens and a flock to coexist. I choose plants like Rudbeckia’Goldsturm’ (Zones 39) and common echinacea that can resist being scratched and pecked at (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 38).
Additionally, I chose plants that the chickens may munch on without damaging them, like my all-time favorite annual, the nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus). The seeds are their favorite by far.
I tried to choose vibrant, happy hues that would stand out against the white coop. Here, zinnias grow abundantly thanks to the fertile shavings and dropped feces, and they are hardy enough to endure chicken feet that trample over the beds. The low-growing beauty Starlight Rose and Queen Red Lime are my two favorite types.
Chickens don’t enjoy rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, Zones 711 or as an annual) because of its overpowering aroma. It’s helpful for areas you want them to stay out of and it’s great for your flock’s health.
Despite the small size of the space, I constantly manage to tuck little bits within. I paid $5 for this vintage rooster at a garage sale. I also used an old, damaged chicken feeder and filled it with purple gomphrena.
Midway through October 2019, the garden was still flourishing. While the echinacea had perished, my chrysanthemums and starlight zinnias thrived up until the last, fatal cold. I’m eagerly anticipating spring so I may make more cherished memories with my cherished chickens and my flowers.
What kinds of flowers won’t a chicken eat?
Avoid these 14 toxic plants with your chickens.
- Azalea. Thanks to their waxy green leaves and vibrant blossoms, these deciduous shrubs are common in landscaping all over the United States.
- Beans. Hemagglutinin, which is poisonous to chickens, is present in uncooked beans.
- Bulbs.
- Ferns.
- Foxglove.
- Holly.
- Lobelia.
- Lupine.
Are hens poisoned by flowers?
Daffodils, foxglove, morning glory, yew, jimson weed, tulips, lily of the valley, azaleas, rhododendron, mountain laurel, monkshood, amaryllis, castor bean, trumpet vine, nightshade, nicotiana, and tansy are just a few of the plants that are harmful to hens.
Nasturtium
The leaves and blossoms of nasturtium are not only attractive to insects that consume the dreadful squash beetle larvae, but they are also edible to humans and make lovely salad garnishes.
Your chickens will adore eating the blooms and leaves, which are known to contain antibacterial and natural worming characteristics.
Squash blossoms
They are delicious when filled with a sausage/ricotta mixture and cooked, and fowl also enjoy them just from the vine.
Let children occasionally indulge; the flower is a wonderful source of calcium, iron, and vitamin A.
Marigolds
In addition to keeping insects away from your garden, marigolds act as an antioxidant and encourage the development of new skin cells.
In addition, chickens who consume marigolds produce eggs with vibrant yellow yolks.
Bee Balm
The lovely flower known as bee balm has leaves that may be used to make a healthy tea with antibacterial characteristics that can be used to treat respiratory issues in both humans and hens.
Naturally, it also draws bees, which aid in pollinating your fruit trees and flowers. The bloom and foliage will be tasty to your chickens.
Dandelions
Dandelions taste great in salads. Technically speaking, they are weeds, so why not pick some for your chickens instead of spraying them?
They are one of your yard’s most nutrient-dense plants and a natural detoxifier, containing a lot of iron, calcium, and vitamin A.
Roses
Both humans and hens can benefit from the blood-toxin-clearing, antiseptic, and antibacterial properties of roses and rose hips.
Another traditional and lovely technique to add an edible decoration to a cake is with roses.
Sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds are undoubtedly a favorite among the feathered community. They are also incredibly healthy, giving both humans and hens protein and necessary fatty acids.
Your chickens will enjoy stripping the stalks of the leaves, which are also edible.
Do hens consume flowering plants?
Isn’t it pleasant to consider that you may now feed those weeds to your sheep rather than having to throw them out? Additionally, if you let your hens go free, they will help you with part of the weeding. (They won’t, of course, take the root out of the earth.) If you have a compost pile, you might want to consider adding your weeds to it before letting your flock forage there. (For a link on composting, see the article’s conclusion.)
Naturally, there are other weeds that you shouldn’t feed your flock. These consist of:
- Buttercup
- John’s wort
Herbs can be very beneficial and healthful for chickens, much like weeds. Beneficial herbs include lavender, bee balm, yarrow, oregano, parsley, and mint. Calming, peaceful, and fragrant describe lavender. Additionally relaxing and helpful to a chicken’s digestive system is bee balm. Yarrow improves the respiratory system and relieves tension and pain. Salmonella, E. coli, infectious bronchitis, coccidiosis, and other illnesses are thought to be resistant to oregano. One of my favorites is parsley. It has a high vitamin content, benefits the digestive system, and stimulates egg production. Mint is quite scented and helps keep flies away from the chickens’ housing.
There are several herbs that are good for chickens. The best I could think of other the ones already mentioned is as follows:
- Basil
- a Bay Leaf
- Catnip
- Chili Pepper
- Chamomile
- Cilantro
- Cinnamon
- Comfrey
- Dill
- Fennel
- Feverfew
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Gotta Kola
- Citrus balm
- Nettles
- Peppermint
- Sage Pineapple
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Spearmint
- Tarragon
- Thyme
- Wormwood
I simply adore giving my flock herbal remedies! Their health has improved, and even their eggs have. For flock owners who want to maintain their naturally healthy flock, herbs are a “must-have.
There are, however, some poisonous herbs that can harm your sheep. Avoid doing the following: C. A. Bean
- Honeysuckle
- Vetch
In addition to greens, chickens also enjoy eating flowers. They enjoy eating petals in the same way that humans eat spaghetti! Numerous flowers have positive effects on chicken health. Examples include nasturtiums, marigolds, and roses. Aromatic, relaxing, and rich in vitamin C are rose petals. My preferred flower to use in my flock may be marigolds. They have a strong perfume, give egg yolks color, and soothe sensitive skin. Nasturtium has laying-stimulating and mild antibacterial properties. The greatest place for all three of these blooms is in hen nesting boxes.
What can I grow close to a coop of chickens?
What Plants Are Best for a Chicken Run?
- Sage. Sage is praised as a herb that helps fend off various illnesses and fight salmonella.
- Thyme. Thyme is well renowned for deterring insects and vermin, so be sure to grow plenty of it close to the chickens’ nesting boxes.
- Lavender.
- Rosemary.
- Sunflowers.
- tree mulberries
- Black Clover.
How can I get my hens to quit devouring my plants?
You might be interested in learning how to chicken proof your garden if, however, the chickens are a touch excessive and you’re losing too many plants. There are several ways to make a garden chicken-proof. The most obvious is to fence off the places that cause the greatest trouble. There are various methods for doing this. The most typical is probably chicken wire. It is called chicken wire for a reason.
The vegetable garden will undoubtedly need to be fenced off because there will be vulnerable new seedlings emerging as well as alluring bare spots the chickens can’t resist exploring. Any wire barrier will do; chicken wire is not required. It works well to use wire mesh or livestock fencing. Making a hedge will also keep the hens out of locations you’d prefer to keep them out of.
There are alternative methods of preventing chickens from damaging plants if you don’t want to create a completely gated area. The chickens won’t scratch and dig up new plants if rocks are placed around their bases. Plants can also be shielded using cloches or nets. Plants are kept up and out of the way by trellising. Hanging baskets and tall container plantings will deter hens from damaging delicate plants.
Plant flowerbeds closely spaced apart. Chickens are drawn to any bare spots of ground. To prevent the chickens from damaging other parts of the landscaping, keep a section of the yard designated as a dust bath. To keep them mite-free, periodically sprinkle it with diatomaceous earth.
Chickens don’t seem to be interested in certain vegetation. These are typically higher, out-of-reach plants. Roses, barberries, dogwoods, and hydrangeas are all lovely flowers that hens do not like. Sunflowers are chicken proof for obvious reasons, but plant them carefully as the unhulled seeds are not beneficial for them either.
If your hens are free range, you might want to include certain plants specifically for them rather of merely concentrating on keeping the plants away from them. Planting at least one evergreen will provide protection for them in the winter, while a dense clump of plants will let them to rest and scratch during the sweltering summer months. Elderberries or blueberries are excellent choices for the thicket because they are chicken-friendly berries. The berries will be consumed as snacks by the hens, reducing the need for pricey chicken feed.
Which garden plants are harmful to chickens?
The majority of food you give chickens will be eaten. They like treats and exploring the garden in search of trees, flowers, bugs, and juicy worms. However, there are several foods and plants that might sicken or even kill your hens.
- Members of the nightshade family of plants Potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant are examples of the plants of the nightshade family. These plants are classified as Solanaceae in Latin. This is due to the presence of a substance called solanine in them. Chickens get poisoned by this. However, if the plants are cooked, the chemical can be broken down. So you may normally feed your chickens any cooked potatoes or tomatoes. It is advisable to simply stop giving these plants to your chickens if you are concerned.
- Onions – When consumed in large numbers, onions may result in anemia or jaundice, which may occasionally be fatal. This is due to the presence of thiosulphate, which kills red blood cells.
- Avocados – The toxin persin can be found in avocados. The condition where the heart stops beating, known as myocardial necrosis, has been linked to this.
- Apple seeds contain cyanide, which can cause your chickens to perish. When giving them apples, make sure they are seed-free because any other part of the fruit is acceptable.
- Citrus fruit – While citrus fruits are unlikely to kill your chickens, they do reduce egg output. It’s okay to eat in moderation.
- Raw, dried beans contain the toxin hemagglutinin, which might be poisonous to your chickens. Cooked beans are acceptable.
- sweets, such as chocolate Theobromine is a poison found in chocolate. Similar to how too much sugar is unhealthy for humans, too much sugar will make your chickens overweight, which will reduce their ability to produce eggs.
- Salty meals – Because chickens don’t naturally consume a lot of salt, they can develop salt sickness.
- Food that has mold on it should never be given to hens since the mold can make them sick and perhaps kill them. As long as there is no mold, overripe, wilted vegetables or stale bread are all acceptable.
Be very careful not to overfeed your chickens with goodies like bread, cereal, and pasta, which have poor nutritional value and can lead to obesity. In moderation, dairy products and an excessive amount of iceberg lettuce should also be given. Please keep in mind that since chickens—even domestic ones—are considered farm animals, you are now prohibited from giving them anything that was cooked in a kitchen where it might have come into contact with any other animal products.
Toxic Garden Plants
Many garden plants are poisonous to hens as well. Normally, your chickens won’t approach them on their own because they don’t taste very good to them. Making sure your chickens don’t have access to these plants, though, can be a smart idea. The list of garden plants toxic to your chickens is provided below.
Are marigolds edible to chickens?
Although marigolds aren’t exactly herbs, they can help keep pests out of your chicken coop and help keep insects away from the perimeter of your garden. Fresh marigolds can help keep your chickens’ nesting boxes free of insects, much like mint and lavender do. Your chickens’ egg yolks, beaks, and feet will turn a stunning, vivid orange color if they consume the marigold petals. Additionally an antioxidant, marigold aids in the body’s detoxification when consumed.
Can chickens eat geraniums without becoming sick?
Numerous flowers can be safely fed to chickens, including:
Flowers from any member of the brassica family, which includes kale, Kohl-rabi, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, romenesco, Brussels sprouts, and calabrese, are permissible for chicken consumption. Therefore, if you cultivate any of these types, as I do, you can wait until they flower before removing them and giving the entire plant to your flock.
I’ve been raising a patch of dandelions for years to provide my chickens with early spring vegetables. It turns out that I was helping the without even realizing it. The yolks benefit from the yellow color.
Pumpkin, zucchini, and courgette flowers are large, bright yellow, and frequently consumed by humans, so there is no reason your hens should miss out on some.
These were my first edible introduction, and because to the abundance I get from my pumpkin trees, the hens never go hungry. Cucurbitacin, a toxin found in the green stems and leaves of the plants, should not be fed to animals. Only feed the male flowers because, in most situations, they must be pollinated in order to produce fruit.
With the exception of the parsnip, which contains deadly tips, many root vegetable blooms that you grow in your garden can be fed to hens without risk. All of these vegetables are edible to chickens, including rutabaga, turnip, beetroot, carrot, and radish flowers. Once more, apply these plants on cultivated species and stay away from the wild varieties. Even your carrot tips can be resprouted to produce greens and blossoms for hens.
Below: I give some of my radishes to the hens that have gone to blossom.
Never feed potatoes or other green sections to hens since they are root vegetables rather than tubers like potatoes.
Natural cures have traditionally included the use of roses and rose hips, and the hip is particularly rich in vitamin C.
Bolting and blossoming lettuce is definitely too bitter for most people, yet chickens don’t seem to mind and continue to eat it.
Clover – Both the red and white clover blooms are safe for chickens to eat because the entire plant is edible.
There are some concerns regarding whether the sulfur compounds in the onion family of plants will hurt chickens or flavor the eggs. These concerns include onion, chive, and garlic blossoms. My chickens accidentally ate the entire green tops of an onion plant in my vegetable garden, but there were no negative consequences.
Marigold: To prepare for winter, grow the common French marigold, cut off the green sections, and dry the petals.
Many people use echinacea, also known as coneflower, which is a plant whose flowers and seeds are thought to be beneficial for enhancing lung health. Echinacea may assist because hens are prone to respiratory diseases.
Thistle: My chickens prefer to wait for the seeds, but in the late summer, I’ve noticed that they also eat the vivid purple blossoms.
Sunflowers: Sunflower petals can be eaten. If the seed head is green, remove it completely. If the seed head is ripe, offer the seeds to the hens as well.
Geranium – The flowers of geraniums are edible, but if you use too much vivid red, it can cause the yolks to become red.
Violets: Safe for hens and used in cookery since the Roman era.
All edible herb blooms, including borage (Borago offincinalis), dill (Anethum graveolens), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), rosemary (Salvia officinalis), and basil (Ocimum basilicum), can be fed to chickens without risk.