Do Chickens Mix with California Native Plants?
Absolutely, provided you’re open to some trial and error. I let my hens forage in the garden each day. But hens can devour, trample, and dig up plants as part of their normal scratch and peck activities, which can leave your garden looking run down to say the least! I’ve been experimenting to identify hen-hardy California native plants for the garden. See my list of Hen-Hardy Natives, below. When given access to a large variety of plants, these are plants that chickens generally don’t like to devour and are hardy enough to withstand chicken traffic without significant breakage. Chickens do like to graze on the seeds, if you allow the plants to go to seed. Generally this leaves enough seeds for plants to self-sow, if that is their way. Here are some other important concepts to consider:
Exclude chickens from all newly planted or self-sowing areas until the plants are established. Chickens love to munch on tender green leaves and rip through seedlings like a salad bar, regardless of the plant.
Chickens are different in their food preferences as I have learned from exchanging notes with other chicken keepers. For example, my hens won’t eat any slugs because they have much better food options in the garden. This is where trial and error is key to understanding what your chickens love to eat in their environment. Also, if your chickens are not used to free ranging, they may eat everything in sight upon initial exploration in your garden.
If you have gopher pests, you may be planting in gopher baskets. Planting in gopher baskets is also a good way to keep chickens from digging up your plants. But gopher baskets will not protect plants from being eaten by chickens.
DO keep your chickens out of your vegetable garden! However, chickens and established fruit trees can coexist well together.
Enjoy watching your hens forage in the garden, knowing they are happier and better fed from the garden experience, which produces more nutritious and delicious eggs!
Some Hen-Hardy California Natives for the Garden
Salvia spathacea | Hummingbird sage
Monardella villosa | Coyote mint | Note: My hens don’t like eating the mint family
Iris douglasiana | Pacific Coast iris
Stipa/Nassella pulchra | Purple needlegrass | Note: Many native bunch grasses are probably hen-hardy. Hens love to eat seeds from bunchgrasses
Penstemon heterophyllus | Foothill penstemon
Penstemon palmeri | Palmer’s penstemon
Mimulus/Diplacus aurantiacus | Sticky monkeyflower | Note: More susceptible to hen damage of allowed get too dry and brittle
Asclepias speciosa | Showy milkweed | Note: Be aware that some references indicate Showy milkweed is toxic to chickens if ingested. However, my hens are not interested in eating Showy milkweed.
Heuchera 'Old La Rochette' | 'Old La Rochette' Coral bells | Note: Hybrid of Heuchera maxima
Prunella vulgaris | Self-heal | Note: My hens don’t like eating the mint family
Erigeron glaucus | Seaside daisy
Eschscholzia californica | California poppy | Note: My hens don’t even like to eat CA poppy seedlings.
Trifolium | Clover | Note: My hens do enjoy gazing the leaves but an established patch of native cloves can withstand this.
Satureja douglasii | Yerba buena | Note: My hens don’t like eating the mint family
Aquilegia eximia | Serpentine columbine
Achillea millefolium | Yarrow | Note: This is still up for debate. The hens really enjoy grazing the foliage, but yarrow may be hardy enough to withstand light grazing. This is from my experience growing cultivars like ‘Island Pink’ and ‘Little Moonshine’.