Depends on the plant, something like peas or beans or kiwi's would be fine, some vines just like any other type of plant might kill chickens if they eat it.

Thank you Brendan.

Kasie

Make sure it's a plant that isn't toxic to birds, check this list:

http://www.plannedparrothood.com/plants.html

Also, your chickens will think you've planted said yummy vine for them to eat. Constantly. Until it's dead. :) So plan for them to destroy it and try to protect the plants.

Velvet ~:>

Thank you so much for the info. Velvet. I guess I will have to abandon my vision of planting something to the fencing. I will just have to plant them away from the chicken's reach. Again, thank you.

Kasie

I wouldn't put much stock in that list. Its for humans (plenty of things that will kill humans but not our animals, like sweet pea hay) and not very good, Sorghum is on it as toxic.

That list is complete rubbish, sassafras is listed as safe even though it has been banned by the FDA for causing cumulative liver damage and contains safarole, a known carcinogen.

Kasie here is a list specific to chickens. Maybe parrots are a little more sensiitive than chickens??
make sure to stay away from periwinkle. it is a hallucinogen and your chicks will be trippin. Marijuana is on the list too. You better not be planting that in your yard or your chicks will be tripping and you might be going to jail and people will be thinking you were trippin!
LOL I just had to add that!

BTW some peas and some beans are on the bad list so make sure you check the list if you decide to plant them.

Here is a link that might be useful: plants to keep away from chickens

Msjay2u, thank you for the link. I find it very informative. Maybe I should try some of the periwinkle and see if I get the trippin effect like the chickens :)

Kasie

Holy crow I totally misread that as planned parrent hood! I thought it looked poorly done. Ignore what I said please!

*LOL* brendan! Yeah, it's a list of plants toxic to birds put out and aimed at people who keep parrots.

May or may not include stuff deadly to poultry, but it's a start. :)

Velvet ~:>

LOL Kasie, stay away from the periwinkle

I planted gourds and scarlet runner beans on my chicken yard last year.The chickens ate the beans but the gourds made wonderful shade.However I read that any vine will eventually pull down the wire.Those gourds weighed a ton.Last fall we put a roof on most of the run for shade.This year I put yard long beans outside the run and Cannas for shade.The beans are slow.I also hung an old wicker porch shade for shade.My chickens are spoiled.Posy Pet

I was thinking that gourds would be good too. Never really thought about the weight. since I have to same question in mind I am interested in seeing the responses as well

If you build it sturdy enough it will rust out before it falls down.

I use antique climbing roses on my run and they do great. The chickens will keep the interior trimmed of anything that comes through or is within the first inch of the wire. I also have lemon balm on the outside, and they love to get my trimmings when I pinch it back.

I have 2x4 welded wire fencing across the top of the run to keep the cats and other critters out. Two roses have covered the whole top of a 8'x16' run. At my new house, the run will be 12'x24, and I plan on putting 3 roses. Since it's out in the hot sun, I plan on putting my lemon balm and lime balm out there, some old hardy crinums (they attract the snails, a treat for the chickens), daylilies, and maybe the short cannas. I don't want to completely block the sides so I can have air circulation - today's forecast is 96. My mother uses Madam Galen Trumpet vine on her chicken run.

Hello tejas pacas - sounds absolutely wonderful, do you have any photos you can share?

Kasie

LOL I think that means roofing tiles.

You would need to keep a sharp eye on the growth of the trumpet vine, as the trunks will grow HUGE in just a few years and kill the fence. (RIP chain link fence at our old house)

I find my chickens really enjoy the cucumber I grow on the side they share with the garden. I planted extra this year just for them.

We have mustang grape growing wild all over our property and the birds love it when I gather the whole vine and throw it in their yard - they eat the grapes and the leaves. (I haven't planted any on their fence, tho, since we're at war with the stuff in our trees!) But that could be an attractive option, if you're interested.

I happened to see a full trumpet vine today and BOY IS IT HUGE!! so I can see how it will destroy a fence. My grape vine is on the ground. it broke the 4" timbers that was supporting it. oh brother,,,, another project

ours did the same thing, what we did was get presure treated 2x4's and drive them into the ground on either side of the brokenp pole with a sledge hammer, and then used numerous screws to fasten them to the broken pole. That was two years ago and I haven't had a problem with it yet. Some day though It will all have to come down I know and be re-done