Design a Garden for Backyard Chickens
Learn how to safely plant a garden for both you and your backyard flock to enjoy.

By:
Melissa Caughey
Related To:
Chickens in the Gardens
Find out how to safely plant a garden for you and your feathered friends.
Chicken Exploration
Chickens add lovely movement to the garden and are incredibly curious.They are wonderful at helping to keep garden pests at bay.
Taste Test
Chickens will try many garden plants. Here one of our favorite hens samples a celery plant.
Rainbow Swiss Chard
This variety adds a bit of color to the garden. It can grow quite large. The entire plant is edible including the colorful stems.
Celery
The entire plant is safe and edible for the chickens. They especially enjoy the leafy tops.
Salad Burnet
The leaves on this plant are ridged and it is very heat tolerant. It has a delicious cucumber taste and the chickens adore nibbling on the fresh sprigs.
Nasturtium
Nasturtium has a lovely peppery taste and will happily climb on trellises and chicken coops. Nasturtium comes in a variegated version as well. The edible blooms range in color from reds, oranges to yellows.
Broccoli
Typically, we enjoy eating the flower part of this plant. However, chickens are happy to dine on the leaves and stems. Just be sure your flock has access to chicken grit to aid in digestion.
Dill
This entire plant is edible. You can take snips of dill from it all season long. If allowed to bolt, a lovely yellow flower will bloom.
Lovage
This popular perennial herb can be added to our own soups, stews, salads and pickling recipes. The chickens enjoy the foliage for its delightful celery-like taste.
Cabbage
Cabbage is a wonderful cold tolerant vegetable that the chicken enjoy all growing season long. They don't mind it when you share a few of the leaves you would otherwise toss in the compost pile.
Raspberries
Try planting edible bushes such as raspberries and blueberries near your coop.
Mint
Mint not only has a wonderful aroma, but when planted near the coop can help to ward off unwanted insects.
Hosta
These are a favorite planting where you can sometimes find my chickens taking shelter and snoozing the afternoon away.
Lavender
Lavender, like mint, is another edible plant that helps to repel insects. Try drying the blooms and tossing them into the nesting boxes with the hens. The dried lavender can help curtail poultry lice and mites from taking up residence on your chickens and in the coop.

Photo By: Photo by Melissa Caughey