How To Keep Chickens Out of Flower Beds and Gardens

[RustyBucketFarmGirl]

Well, I'm sorry about your dilema. I have had the same issue last summer.
I set out 75 tomato plants last year and I ended up having less than 1 dozen
Tomatoes for us to eat. I had some of the nicest tomato plants I have had in
20 years, but I wasn't able to keep the chickens out of em.

The only solution I have found that will actually work is to install a fence. I
Don't think rubber snakes would work as my chickens love to go after snakes
And kill them, so that may just be an invitation to come on in. I'm not real fond
Of the stake method either, as I just feel someone may get hurt, and I'm not
Comfortable with that. Not really sure what the vinegar would do, but I just
Don't see that being an effective deterent.

I think your only 3 viable options that will really work are going to be:

Install a fence
Keep the chickens contained within the coop except for evening when you can gaurd the garden
Either don't plant a garden, or, get rid of the chickens

If your like me, the last one is not an option, so I opted for the second option
Because it was more feasable to implement. I keep them contained until I can
Be out there with them to shoo them out of the garden.

Good luck with what ever direction you go.

CT

I read somewhere that leaves of nightshade vegetables are not good for chickens. That included tomato greens. Although my girls have eaten some tomatoes they seem to stay away from the tomato plants. Maybe it’s instinctual.

 

[Lonesome Dough]

We have yet to open the pen door and allow the girls their freedom, the safety of the garden being one reason. I'm wondering if distance is a factor? The coop is on the opposite side of the house from the garden with a distance separation of about 100yards. will distance be a deterrent?

 

[RustyBucketFarmGirl]

We have yet to open the pen door and allow the girls their freedom, the safety of the garden being one reason. I'm wondering if distance is a factor? The coop is on the opposite side of the house from the garden with a distance separation of about 100yards. will distance be a deterrent?

Mine did not leave the area of the coop, run, goat barn and goat pasture for almost 3 weeks. But they are social and if the people are up there they will eventually figure it out.

 

[old biddy]

I'm watching this thread with high interest...our hens have lost free range rights until we solve the issue of their demolition of our veggie garden and tender hostas. Breaks my heart not to open their gate to our small acreage, but sustainable out here means vegetables as well as eggs! We spent a couple hours in Menards recently researching fencing for our 30 X 110 foot garden...nothing is both reasonably attractive as well as reasonable in cost. Help! ~G

 

[old biddy]

Fencing to keep chickens out of the garden doesn't have to be that expensive. We put in some posts around the perimeter and then just stapled bird netting around it. The chickens walk up to the netting but can't tell how high it is (ours is six feet) and keep walking around instead of trying to fly over it. It worked for years until a new group of chickens (who must have been smarter than my first group) found out they could fly up to the top of the post and then down the other side. I guess it all depends on how smart your chickens are. Good luck! : \

 

[RustyBucketFarmGirl]

lol too late for me!

This used to be a flourishing basil bush... now there's a chicken in it.

View attachment 1496908

Oops! My herbs are in a window box on the chicken coop so it’s like 3 feet up. They don’t seem to even notice it’s there. I put plenty of herbs in it thinking we could share but they haven’t eaten any yet except for the cuttings that i put in their run.

The box was there when we bought the place on the side of the shed which we repurposed into a chicken coop.

 

[quackingdom]

Even fences won't necessarily work. We had a fence to keep the ducks off the porch, and as soon as it started sagging just slightly, they climbed over it. It was about three feet high. We haven't yet found a fence that isn't totally permanent but is still sturdy enough to keep the ducks out.

 

[GardenJen77]

The only solution I have found to work, is fencing. I have a fence made of heat treated pallets ( and T posts) that go around my garden. Pallets are usually found free in many places. I then put 3 foot wide chicken wire against that, so they don't jump through the pallets.

In my other smaller veggie and flower beds, I find that cheap, plastic (snow ) fencing, held up by the cheap plastic posts found at my local TSC, works great!

 

[gocgo]

I have to sit out by the garden and spray them with water when they free range into the garden. Fortunately, I only let the free range for about 20 minutes at the end of the day.

 

[Nats Chickens]

The only thing that will work is a fence.