Birds that will not destroy gardens

[Sadness Child]

This was not getting any responses in the Garden area so I post it here. Are there any domestic birds that will not destroy a flower garden if they are in there 24/7

 

[NatJ]

It depends a bit on the size of the flower garden, but I think most birds fall into two categories: the ones that fly away, and the ones that scratch around in the dirt (and thus mess up the flower garden.)

In a really big flower garden with a very few chickens, you would still have some flowers left, but the chickens will scratch dirt and mulch into places you don't want them, and make nice dustbathing holes that might be unsightly. I'm thinking something like 3 chickens in a flower garden 50 or more feet each way, with the flowers being already-established perennials. I would expect them to scratch up any new seedlings or newly-transplanted flowers. Yes, big chickens are stronger and would do more damage than small bantams.

I don't personally know about quail, ducks or geese.
But I would guess that quail probably scratch (being smaller, they might do less damage than chickens.) I would expect ducks and geese would both knock over plants and eat plants, but they might not scratch in the dirt as much.

I am guessing you're not asking about things like canaries and parakeets--I predict they won't hurt the garden, but they won't stay in it either

 

[muddy75]

This was not getting any responses in the Garden area so I post it here. Are there any domestic birds that will not destroy a flower garden if they are in there 24/7

None that I know of!! i have spent hours of time and a ton of $$ to add live plants to my aviaries and put fences around them etc and if they can reach it, they will destroy it!! my blueberry bush had to be transplanted because my budgies and finches nearly stripped it clean.....one of my pheasants evidently managed to get high enough to take out a hanging pot of pansies, and the coturnix have nearly decimated my firepower bamboo and hydrangeas through wire fence covered in netting!! i even put them in planter boxes with lava rock so they couldn’t dig them up like they did last years plants

 

[imnukensc]

This was not getting any responses in the Garden area so I post it here. Are there any domestic birds that will not destroy a flower garden if they are in there 24/7

Short answer----there are none.

 

[NuggetTheChicken]

Maybe you could try ducks, but I wouldn't trust them completely

 

[Sadness Child]

Ok I will have to have no birds then

 

[Sadness Child]

Do you know anything else that could add more life to a flower garden, I plan on having a stock tank pond in the center

 

[NatJ]

Fish? Maybe a few goldfish in the stock tank (depends on climate, and size of tank.)
Butterflies? Some flowers attract them more than others.
Wild birds? Maybe add a bird bath and/or bird feeder.
A cat? (probably not compatible with the wild birds.)

Chickens that normally live somewhere else, but you let them in the flower garden sometimes?

Windchimes?
Those pinwheels that spin in the breeze?
Flags?

Columbine flowers? the tall ones stand a bit over knee high, with the flowers on stalks such that they bob in the breeze. Almost like butterflies that do not fly away.

 

[Sadness Child]

I do plan on having fish in there, I am a fish hobbyist and want to convert my 46 gal freshwater tank into a stock pond so I can make the 46 gal a saltwater tank.
I do have a dog that has full access to the yard where this will be, I plan on having 8 foot walls and maybe a roof if I have to adopt flying birds. so I am afraid that if I bring the birds my dog will eat them

 

[Sadness Child]

I want to have a short tree in one corner and the rest will be a meadow with flowers a couple of shrubs and some taller flowers The wall will also be covered in vining plants hopefully