Rhododendron for shade

[Sue]

My hens don't have any trees or bushes in their enclosed run that they can use for shade. When I'm home they are let out into the bigger run where there is a large rhododendron in a large pot where they like to spend most of their time when it's hot. I think I'm right in saying that rhododendrons are poisonous to hens, but they don't touch it. I'm wondering whether I could move it into their enclosed run so they could take advantage of it all the time in this hot weather, or whether I'm asking for trouble by them being tempted to eat it if it's there all the time. I know they should know not to eat poisonous plants, but I don't want to put them at risk. What do you think?

 

[VALBURNHAM]

I have a rhododendrom in my run and apart from a odd nibble where they have tried it they have let it alone. Eveyrthing else has gone bar the rhododendron and the nettles. Guess they just don't like the taste.

 

[BabyBantam]

I've got foxgloves all over the garden and my girls had a nibble in the autumn but not touched any of them since. I think they're pretty good at figuring out what tastes good. Maybe try it in the run for a couple of days & keep an eye on them. I'm sure they'll be curious, but if they don't touch it in the garden, should recognise it as not being tasty?
Another option could be to string an old net curtain up across the top of the run to help shade. As it's not solid, helps to stop it becoming a sail in the wind & doesn't make a 'scary' noise like a tarp or peice of plastic?

 

[Sue]

There is already some shade in their run, but they seem to prefer being under vegetation. It seems to provide cooler shade underneath, rather than just shade from a fence etc.

I'll move it in this weekend and see how they get on with it. No idea how we're going to move it, it's pretty big!!!

 

[karminski]

what other bush plants are good , once the new part of the run is built i also want to add things for the girls for shade etc but i want to add the right things .

 

[Chuck]

Rhododendron is poisonous to other species and for that reason I have never used it in a chicken pen. In other species it can cause severe vomiting then death.
There are plenty more shrubs around so I would not take the chance.

 

[darkbrowneggs]

Often groups of my birds will completely free range my woodland area (depending on fox activity) One year a small group of Silkies completely stripped and killed some azalea - though it seemed to do them no harm.

Another year a broody kept taking her twelve chicks under a large yew, and I regularly saw the youngsters jumping up in order to eat the leaves from the lower branches - again no bad effects seemed to result, though I did lose a pair of young lambs one year, who had found and eaten a self set yew seedling in a fenced off pond area which they had managed to wriggle into.

 

[Sue]

Rhododendron is poisonous to other species and for that reason I have never used it in a chicken pen. In other species it can cause severe vomiting then death.
There are plenty more shrubs around so I would not take the chance.

Could you suggest some shrubs then that they won't eat please. The reason I suggested it is because they don't touch the rhododendron, so it is safe from being eaten. There's no point putting something in there that will be destroyed as that defeats the object.

 

[Marigold]

I would think in any case this would be the wrong time to try to dig up and transplant a large shrub, Sue - better chance of success if you wait until the autumn, maybe. I would think you would be safer with Viburnum Tinus, which has evergreen glossy leaves, produces dense shade and has lovely scented flowers as well once it gets going. Viburnums arent poisonous so no issues there. Haven't tried it with chickens but its a very tough plant and you can cut it back as hard as you like when needed and it will sprout again. Though how a starter- size one in a pot would survive until it got going I do not know, like any thing else. Could you perhaps put some mesh round the foliage of whatever you plant until it gets established, to keep the hens from shredding it?

 

[Sue]

Marigold, it's in a large pot so no problems about digging it up. It's a large well established plant and, as I said, they don't touch it when they come out into the bigger run and actually spend a lot of time just sitting underneath it. This is why I thought it might work putting this in their enclosed run. It would take too long to get a new shrub established to be of any good to them this year.

Yes, I could plant something in their run and put mesh around it until established for future years.