Hello! I am a long way from my dream homestead--we'll have to rent for a couple of years before we can build our house. But in the meantime, I can dream and plan. The plan, however, will take place in Chino Valley, AZ, and while the weather is really lovely and not severe in any one season, the summers can get pretty toasty for feathered friends.
To that end, I was thinking about a chain link dog run, wired with small wire mesh around the bottom, but with a deciduous vine growing over the top to give shade in the summer. The water situation in AZ would require that I grow something fairly drought tolerant, but I could direct a gutter from the roof of the shed/coop to the vine's bed, to help some.
So my question is, what would be safe for them? The ones I can think of (wisteria, trumpet vine, some clematis) are either poison or invasive. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance!
Deciduous vines safe for chickens?
If u google and ask what is safe for chickens u will get an answer,also back yard chicken site could help
Thanks. It's usually not my personal policy to ask a question I could easily find the answers to...sorry!
No need to be sorry.I have a grape vine planted to grow over my run,but it will be years before it will be of any benefit for shade.I also planted 3 plum trees in my runs this year but that will another few years before it offers much shade to the girls.Your plant nasturtiums ,they are edible and very pretty
Nasturtiums would be a great idea...they don't grow very high, but they'd be great "vertical fodder" for them.
TexasDollie, I have a climbing rose and various veggie vines growing over my chicken run. The rose shot up pretty fast and the chickens just browse what leaves happen to grow into the run. This past year the veggie of choice was a variety of green been. Both needed to be watered but did fine and the chickens got to enjoy some green beans. I'm thinking of checking out a kiwi vine for next year. I would think any fruit vine would be fine for the chickens. As a veggie vine--that was just my weird idea. The rose is planted in the ground but I did the veggie vines from a five gallon container set next to the mesh of the run. That way I could remove it if things didn't work out.
I like the idea of nasturtiums, too. But when I lived in Florida we grew nasturtiums in the earlier part of summer.
Good luck with you homestead and have fun planning!
Thanks, Terri--I think roses would a great idea, and the thorny Red Cascade roses I have here would make a great predator deterrent! :~D
If you want thorns and quick cover, try Mermaid!
I love Mermaid! But the trouble is I have to go as low-water as I can--Chino Valley gets 10" a year if they're lucky, and there are already water shortages in the groundwater wells.
Once established, I think Mermaid would tolerate your water restrictions. Mine made it through the drought of 2011 when we got all of 7" of rain with no supplemental watering.
Wow! Then it's definitely going on my list. Never thought I would miss this part of Texas, but even with our drought here, we'll get twice the water we will in AZ. Learning curves, learning curves...
porkpal I LOOKED FOR MERMAID AND COULD NOT FIND IT.STUPID KEYBOARD WILL NOT GO OFF CAPS
Caps are attacking a lot of people today, may not be your keyboard...
Mermaid is worth shouting about. Unfortunately she prefers warm climates so she probably would not survive in Maine.
2011 was that the year of the drought? I couldn't remember what year it was. That was the year all my grass in the backyard died. :) Of course, the chickens helped. It wasn't all the chicken's fault though. At least I don't think it was. I don't know, but I still have no grass. At least I don't have to mow the yard. :D
Check for Mermaid at Chamblee: http://www.chambleeroses.com/order/Own-Root-Garden-Roses//Mermaid/270
Mermaid would be a good choice for the chicken coop as I think, in full bloom, the blossoms look like sunny-side up eggs! Or you could mix in Red Cascade and then maybe some Russian Sage or another blue sage for the base of the planting (outside of the coop) and have a nice Fourth of July theme going.
Mermaid is not really deciduous in our climate, however. Does that matter?
I checked, but Mermaid isn't hardy up there at 4700 ft, in that zone. The red cascade is, and a couple of others that are not climbers, but I'm thinking of just planting giant sunflowers all around so the chickens can have the seed heads later. :~)
I do love Red Cascade.
I think sunflowers will be a good solution. - Even though I love roses.