Our Chicken Run with Planters

[thewatsonfarm]

When we were designing a run to protect our girls from a hawk, I was desperate for ideas. Now I hope that sharing might help someone else. We already had two small coops with nesting boxes already inside an enclosure on the side of the house. We enclosed the rest of that side yard. It's not quite as predator proof, due to sprinklers and the AC and other access issues. So there's a door between the two parts to keep the girls safe when they sleep.

 

[thewatsonfarm]

They like to perch on the sides of the planters, which are 2" x 6" boards. They have a good size dirt bath too. I decorated the space with party lights and I have lots of painted chicken art too.

The first round of plants were devoured quickly (it shocked me how quickly my hens could eat a five gallon jasmine plant!) So now their plants aren't edible. I grow their greens in my garden and tuck them into the bushes in the planters. But I'm about to put in some hanging baskets with strawberries planted for them, as soon as I can get the drip irrigation set up. I figure they can only eat what they can reach, and the hanging baskets will be out of their jump zone. It is a challenge planning around crafty hens!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Very pretty with the planters. Mine also liked to perch on the edge of planter beds (shortly before diving in and uprooting every seedling ).

 

[aart]

So now their plants aren't edible.

That's doesn't mean they won't destroy them.
Might need netting to protect your planters from turning into dust baths.

 

[thewatsonfarm]

That's doesn't mean they won't destroy them.
Might need netting to protect your planters from turning into dust baths.

True. I actually protect the plants now with a cylinder made of chicken wire. I use 24" or 36" tall, depending on the plant, and bury the cylinder when planting so the root ball is protected. They have learned that they can squash down the part that's above ground, but the core of the plant is protected and I'm not losing plants any more.