chicken moat, anyone else have one?

[faykokoWV]

I'm so proud, my husband built this chicken moat around our garden for me. We were lucky, except for the wire fencing and bird netting, everything else was free. He converted the shed to a coop very nicely. It needs at least one more window, but we're waiting to see if that's something else we can pick up for free.

The chickens love it. When we're working in the yard, we turn them loose in the garden, I'm a little worried about hawks when they're exposed like that so i don't let them in the garden all the time.

5 feet wide, 4 foot tall and 150 feet all the way around, the shed/coop is 8x10.

 

[saddina]

I have plans for one, but right now we're still in the city. Instead mine live in a tractor in the garden that's the same width as the garden paths.

 

[Brindlebtch]

Really clever idea! Heck of a first line of defense against garden pests!

 

[lotzahenz]

I love that idea, and they will keep the fence clean of weeds, thus a weed-lesser garden. I thought moat, water, hum. A fence moat good, but water around your coop seemed even cooler. Like 4 feet deep with crocs to eat coons.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Only one problem with that plan. I think crocs like to eat chickens even more than racoons do.

 

[faykokoWV]

Quote:
This is the first year we've had it, but its also the first year I've ever had slug free lettuce. We noticed bugs on the potato plants last weekend, turn the chickens loose in there, no more bugs! We did learn we have to watch out for any fresh planted corn, they really liked that and ate several rows before we realized what they were doing. A little bird netting on the ground over the corn, problem solved.

We got the idea for this from the one on mother earth. We didn't make it as high as theirs since deer aren't much of a problem for us.

 

[Mrs. Glassman]

What an awesome idea! I love it!!! I wish the lay of our property would allow us to do something like that.

 

[Gwen]

I'm in the process of putting on in. My chicks are still babies so I have time yet.

I plan to have the moat open to a run and then have a chicken tractor for nighttime.

Saddina, how wide and long is your tractor? My paths are 3' wide and I'm wondering how long I can have the tractor and still get it around the corners. I plan to have it on wheels so I can move it by myself.

 

[Mahlzeit]

Thats a fantastic idea. Looks great!

 

[Blue Hill Farm]

Oh man, do I want one!

Love, love, LOVE it!