Best way to keep chickens out of our garden?

[Homesteader82]

That's not bad, I was thinking that I'd need to make it higher. You haven't had any problems?

 

[PirateGirl]

That's not bad, I was thinking that I'd need to make it higher. You haven't had any problems?

Mine is mostly to keep out other critters, like rabbits, and I have window glass on most of my boxes. But once you put some corner posts it wouldn't be hard to drape some bird or deer netting over the whole thing.

 

[Homesteader82]

If I fenced off a portion of the wooded area with some sort of deer netting; would that be sufficient protection? The coop would have a totally fenced in area, sides and top, to keep them in the majority of the time, but I'd like to have them run around and enjoy the wooded area that would be fenced off and that fence would movable.

 

[kmom08]

How do most people let their chickens run free for a few hours while they are out working?

Basically, I want chickens for the eggs and to teach our kids about taking care of animals and to have chores outside. We want the chickens to be able to roam around while we are outside, if we go inside, we'd have them go into their closed off pen. I'd love for them to take care of the slugs, bugs and tickets while they are out.

I personally think they would be fine if you were out there with them. I'm not sure how big your wooded area is, but it would be best to keep them out of there if possible to prevent attacks. We live in a community, and have a little over half an acre fully fenced that we allow them to roam when we're home. When we are away they stay in their run.
I think teaching your kids about chores and raising chickens is wonderful!

 

[HopeSprings]

My first chicks will arrive in May and their coop and run will be built just outside of my vegetable garden. The garden is a 50' x 60' enclosed area. The fencing is 3' high "critter guard" welded wire. The lower portion is a finer mesh to keep the varmints out. I am hoping that it will keep my free-rangers out, too! They'll have plenty of space to roam (at least a couple of acres of clear land), so I'm hoping they won't have a need to scale the fence!

 

[Chicklet2]

I had to fence my garden. The chickens totally destroyed it. Even after it was initially fenced, I had to raise the fence as a couple flew over it. Last year they destroyed the garlic and onions. They not only peck at the plants, but scratch around and take dirt baths in the garden spots. It only takes one to get in and really cause some damage.

 

[agale]

i found some roll out fencing like the orange soil erosion fencing but it is green. it was found at Lowes hardware and it is stiff enough so they wont go through it but I can roll it up if they arent out and I need to mow or have people over. 48" tall

 

[Chickengene]

I've done the complete opposite. I've allowed them to run crazy in my garden and they have been the best gardeners ever. My garden was getting a bit overgrown and now it's actually the neatest, most weed free it's ever been.
Okay, sometimes their gardening techniques are a bit haphazard and the 'flower beds' do resemble tattie fields, but my girls are earning their keep. The grass has been pecked short, the weeds are cleared, the soil has been dug and tilled and fertilised, snails and slugs have been attacked. My more established plants, peonies and crocrosmia are shooting up, despite the chicken onslaught.
Now I just have to train my chickens to use the hedge trimmer and we'll be laughing.

How big did your plants have to be to survive the chicken farmers?
I have a fenced garden area but lots of new planting all around the property.

 

[ChickenFlamingo]

How big did your plants have to be to survive the chicken farmers?
I have a fenced garden area but lots of new planting all around the property.

My perennials such as peonies and Shasta Daisies are growing from the roots and by and large my hens have left them alone, ditto my daffodils because they don't eat them. They do take a bit of a beating when the hens are digging for bugs, but things are growing.
However, there are plants that they love. My perennial cornflowers appear to be a delicacy and my hens are keeping those well trimmed. It will be interesting to see if they flower.
Sprouting seeds don't stand a chance though, and I will keep the hens away from my planters and tubs of annuals.
I should point out I only have three hens and they are not out permanently. A larger flock would decimate the area. But I am happy with the 'gardening' my hens are doing, they certainly keep the weeds down, even in my gravel paths.

 

[SW31]

I use the plastic stakes for fitting electric wires as they’re cheap. I put the stakes all around the garden beds I want to protect. Because they have several ‘hooks’ on each stake I can then take ordinary garden plastic type wire and wind this through the hooks so that after three or four strands it creates a barrier to the hens.
I leave part of one bed free so that the hens have somewhere to dust bathe. When the dahlias are fully grown I’ll let the hens use one of the dahlia beds as well as the larger plants will also shade the hens in summer. It’s all a bit of a compromise.