Help!!! My Chickens Are Eating My Garden!!!!

[Cassandra]

Quote:
I have been looking for some of those, but not having any luck finding any. Thank you for posting their scientific name. Maybe now people will know what I am talking about. But now that I have read it, I'm having second thoughts... hmm.


That was great!

Cassandra

 

[NoSpringChick]

I have been wondering the same thing....I just love gardening and now I love my chickens. We are in the process of building a coop with a run. Currently, the birds are in a 6 x 8 ft chain link fence and I only let them out in the late afternoon; that way they don't have too much time in which to devour the garden.

Also, I'm training my dog to keep the chickens and ducks out of the garden....

I have a neighbor friend that keeps hers penned in the growing season, and when things are more mature she lets them out.

I hope that helps.....

 

[mandomama]

My coop is going to be in the garden...ahh...hmmm...

We will have a cover on the run because we have so many hawks so that should help.

As far as bugs go, we have an old wood pile and found some termits in them. We brought them in for the chicks and it took them a while, but once someone ate one of those wiggly things it was all in! Now we know they will be eating the termits at least!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I think covering your garden is going to be the only solution, that or keep your girls penned up in a coop with a top.

You could always look into building a chicken tractor or making tethers to tie your girls out(when you can watch them!).

You're going to have to contain something, either a top on your garden. Or chickens in a coop, tractor, or tethered out.

I tether my birds sometimes, but be "sure" to keep an eye on them. A chicken tractor would give them access to the yard and particular parts of the garden but still be contained.

-Kim

 

[wegotchickens]

Mine don't mess with mine much when the plants are bigger. They seem to favor the smaller seedling stage. But they definitely keep down the bugs later on!! I don't use any pesticides so they're a real asset to an organic garden. No June bugs or Japanese beetles last summer!

 

[Xtradust]

I agree, they mostly like the young juicy plants.

I just keep trying things to see what will work.

If they won't stop eating a certain plant, I hang the plant (in a pot) from the patio cover. They're too lazy to fly up.

But, it's kind of starting to look like the hanging gardens in my backyard.

 

[wegotchickens]

We're converting an old wooden swingset into a coop, and where the swings used to hang I'm gonna plant strawberries and such in hanging baskets just to drive them nuts

 

[ncgnance]

I bought that black plastic stuff with the post already attached to it at Lowes last year. the 100 foot roll fit just perfectly around my little garden in the back yard. The fencing is only about 2' high, but my chickens can't see through it to the garden. It works for me..

 

[Happy Chicken Mama]

Hey Thanks for all of the great ideas!

I think that the netting is going to be a must.

We love our sweet arracaunnas but my big fatso cochins and dark brahama are on my good list right now for sure. I wish I could fatten up my three flying girls so they couldn't get their backsides over the fence.

We may try clipping their wings but my husband is worrried about them not being able to get away from d.o.g.s. and the like. Does anyone who clips wings have any problem with predators? I guess if they arent able to go a' wandering... then I won't have to worry about the neighbors dogs getting them. We haven't had any problems with anything accept racoons so far.

My husband took two of our girls to the fancy vet after a racoon attack and now we have the most expensive arracaunna ('I can't believe you jus ate $50 dollars worth of @$%*&-ing snapdragons that I planted yesterday') & cochin ('mama') ever!

I love the strawberry idea! If my girls don't shape up I am going to keep them in the coop and plant srawbwerries just outside to torture them! They are so spoiled we haven't had the lawn treated in a year because it would mean keeping them in the coop for a week and we just can't do it.

Thanks again... any more ideas would be soooooo welcome!

 

[Happy Chicken Mama]

Tomatoes are their favorites... mine too.