One of the main reasons I got chickens is to use them in the garden. I LOVE to garden, but want to avoid using chemicals and a lot of equipment. And, I am lazy. Chickens (and other poultry) can eat the pests, "till beds, and turn the compost heap.
I first heard this idea when reading a book about "Four Season Gardening". The author, Elliott Coleman, uses his ducks for slug patrol by putting them in a "duck tractor" that he moves around the perimeter of his garden. Apparently the slugs are actually attracted to the duck poop, so they leave the middle of the garden and head over toward the ducks who inhale them.
Jessi Bloom's book talks about designing gardens to accommodate chickens. She's a landscaper so much of her focus is on flower beds, etc. She highlights different people's gardens and how they use their chickens. The pictures are gorgeous!
Then, my favorite, is the book by Harvey Ussery. He actually uses chickens, ducks, geese, and guineas to do different tasks in the garden. Each species has special skills that make them better for different things. He very much recommends keeping the water fowl and the chickens in different coops since the water fowl are slobs.
I really want to get Runner Ducks next year. They were originally bred to forage in the rice fields of Indonesia (I think that's where) in order to clean out pests. They've been gardening with ducks for hundreds of years! It isn't a new idea at all!
