Would chickens eat my garden aloe plants?

Just got a backyard chicken coop with some cute polish & cochin bantams and a couple of standard-size easter egger chicks. I was thinking of allowing them to free-range in the fenced-in backyard once in a while outside their run. The only plants I really care about them not eating are my various aloes and gasteria that I have planted in the ground. Some are large with sharp points and some are smaller and more delicate-looking, although all of them are pretty tough little plants with hard leaves. Any one have any experience with this? I figured I'd post this here instead of the cacti/succulents forum where I usually post. Thanks!

Here's a pic of Ann Margaret, one of my red polish bantams. I love her!

They may not eat them, but they will scratch around them and uproot them if they are not really big. I've noticed that they never dig around my Century plants (like aloe, only harder and sharp), but everything else is fair game to them. They only plants that seem to survive them , not matter what is iris. I guess how much they damage will depend on how big the yard is. I had three free range chickens in an area of about half an acre and they trashed the flower beds. I let my chickens out occasionally inot the yard, but I have wire covers over my flowers.

good to know about Iris!

gotta love Ann Margaret...

tf

I brought my aloe vera potted plant up on the deck to get some sun (Missouri weather is schizophrenic) and the first thing one of my hens did was run up and take a little chuck out of it, since it was the only green thing in sight.

But of course, mine are full grown birds while yours are still pretty young. But do you think if they do nibble them, they would develop a taste for your plants? I don't know much about aloes, but don't they have shallow roots? I would be worried that the birds will dig around and damage the roots.

My say is better safe than sorry!

Schizo, LMAO!!!! That is so true. A foot of snow one day and 68 degrees the next!

68 degrees? I don't even remember 68 degrees here.

Jyl, I think that is the temp inside my house. (I keep the thermostat set on 68) But you know, it is getting warmer here. It's all the way up to about 50 out on my back porch now. Might even get to 55 or 60 today. WOW!!