Can I let my chooks into the tomato patch?

[Birdielee]

Mine aren’t really interested in the tomato plants, but they do steal ripe tomatoes. They started plucking the cherry tomatoes right off the vine as soon as they started turning red.

Yeah, mine learned about grapes and blackberries this summer. Not funny. But it is funny watching them jump for the grapes !

 

[Stablecoop]

Yeah, mine learned about grapes and blackberries this summer. Not funny. But it is funny watching them jump for the grapes !

Hahahahahah! Mine are jumping for the higher up kale leaves right now. Omgoodness these chooks are literally better than a blockbuster movie.

 

[Stablecoop]

The kale plants on the inside of their fence went from big beautiful living bouquets to green sticks sticking out of the ground! These girls worked hard in the garden today hahahahah!

 

[Birdielee]

The kale plants on the inside of their fence went from big beautiful living bouquets to green sticks sticking out of the ground! These girls worked hard in the garden today hahahahah!

Well, harvesting is my weak point. At least they'll turn the kale into chicken. And eggs.

 

[Compost King]

I try to avoid situations where the only plants available are poisonous, they will eat any plant if that plant is the only plant they have access to. If they have access to poisonous plants and healthy plants they eat the healthy plants. I used to use chickens to weed pots in my Nursery and they ignored the trees that were poisonous or bad tasting to them, when I had too many chickens for the amount of healthy plants for them to eat they started eating at my trees and set them back a year. Oh well, live and learn.

 

[Stablecoop]

I try to avoid situations where the only plants available are poisonous, they will eat any plant if that plant is the only plant they have access to. If they have access to poisonous plants and healthy plants they eat the healthy plants. I used to use chickens to weed pots in my Nursery and they ignored the trees that were poisonous or bad tasting to them, when I had too many chickens for the amount of healthy plants for them to eat they started eating at my trees and set them back a year. Oh well, live and learn.

I really appreciate this feedback. We did decide to open the garden up more to them so that they had more choice than just the tomatoes. They definitely preferred the kale. LOL. What you say makes great sense, thank you.