There are 3 gauges of chicken wire in our area : 22 gauge - thin but cheap , 21 gauge - medium strength and price, and 20 gauge - the heaviest wire and most expensive. For the main fence always use the 20 gauge , the 1 inch is stronger than 2 inch. The 22 gauge is so light it is almost useless...
My chicks free range , until the snows come . If they were penned I would simply throw in piles of bagged lawn and pasture grass. Either my ride-on bagger or my toro personal pace will do the job. They pick at it for hours.
a jiffy chicken wire ( 3 ft.high ) fence around your planting area will keep them at bay . A few metal stakes to hang it are a good idea , they are easily portable and reusable.
Here is my theory about mash vs pellets or crumbles . In the mash all the elements are loose and separate ..the grain , the protein supplement, the vitamins,minerals, etc .
Since my layers are free ranging on grass I think the mash is better because it lets them pick out whatever nutrients...
I think this problem is ascerbated by thin egg shells which crack very easily while being shuffled around in the nest . My 20 comets are outside free-ranging on grass all day and I wonder if they can eat enough oyster shells to keep the shells hard . So thin shells and eaten eggs are a...
For your info I had about 25 white leghorn layers a few years ago . Some were agile and flew up into the hay loft and laid eggs up there . This was mid summer and the barn has a tin roof . Hot .
I found the eggs maybe three weeks later , about 25 in a clutch, some were discolored from the heat...
I use pine wood shavings in my pen and nests , the pine resins repels fleas . If I did dust I would use rotenone , an organic plantroot based insecticde . I believe cat and dog flea powders use this . I use rotenone based powder for all my garden bugs including potato beetles, cucumber...