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

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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.

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Photo By: Photo by Melissa Caughey