Chickens and Gardening

[Kimlaxmom]

I'm looking to make a few raised bed gardens this year. Not sure if I want to make a run around the garden for the chicks. Any advice suggestions?

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

Neat! Sounds fun. Chickens can pair well with gardens...
(Hmmm... bugs. Gulp. Yum. = Happy plants ).
However, if certain precautions are not in place, chickens can destroy a garden...

If you intend to have adult chickens around the garden veggies, I would devise some protection (chicken wire or mesh netting are good materials for this) to protect the plants from the chickens... chickens will hop up on raised beds, dig up plants and eat any vegetables they can find... Tomatoes are a favorite. Don't ask me how I know...

As a side-note, I advise not using wood chips around the raised beds if chickens are about... In the right environment, wood chips can lead to bumble foot in chickens.

 

[Kimlaxmom]

So looking forward to spring! Yes, they will help keep the bugs and other creepy crawlers out of my garden! What's bumble foot?

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

Bumblefoot is an infection caused by certain strains of bacteria entering the foot through a break in the skin (which is where bark can play a role if the environment is right = Splinters). Bumblefoot causes the foot to swell and a rough scab to form where the bacteria entered. It is usually mended by minor surgery. Some cases (particularly minor ones) can be mended by removal of the scab, Epsom salt foot-soaking and antibacterial ointment applications.

Here's a pic of bumble foot:

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The only way that you can mix gardens and chickens is to devise some way to keep the chickens out of your garden. Small or baby chicks can do a good job eating all the bugs, beetles etc that prey on your garden. But bigger chickens eat everything from pea and bean blossoms to ripping vegetables like tomatoes. Whether they have been feeding on a member of the Nightshade family or not, potato bugs are a favorite snack of small chickens. Just be sitting on the go to move the whole flock when they tear into your vegetables because they will.

 

[aart]

As a side-note, I advise not using wood chips around the raised beds if chickens are about... In the right environment, wood chips can lead to bumble foot in chickens.

Wood chips do not necessarily cause bumblefoot.
Bumblefoot is a staph infection in a wound on the foot.
Sharp wood chips can cause a wound that might get infected,
but other sharp things could also cause a foot wound.
Many of us have a plethora of wood chips and shavings in our coops and runs and no foot wounds infected or not.

 

[lazy gardener]

Never had bumble foot here. Wood chips abound.

@Kimlaxmom , since you are in planning stage, you have lots of opportunity to build a workable system from the ground up!!!! Exciting!

More details please: available space, existing flock size and coop/run set up in relation to shade trees, water availability, type of soil???? How big a garden do you want? Can you post some pics????

I love doing garden design work! In the mean time, check out this video: It's one of my favorites.

Also, since wood chips have been brought up, here's an other classic for you:

https://www.backtoedenfilm.com/

 

[milogirly]

Wood chips do not necessarily cause bumblefoot.
Bumblefoot is a staph infection in a wound on the foot.
Sharp wood chips can cause a wound that might get infected,
but other sharp things could also cause a foot wound.
Many of us have a plethora of wood chips and shavings in our coops and runs and no foot wounds infected or not.

Whew! I am very relieved after reading your post. We have an abundance of wood chips and bark as we burn wood all winter. My girls just love digging through buckets full when I throw them in their run. They go absolutely crazy and dig for hours. I have been trying to build mounds for them to play on, but they dig them down so fast. Lots of goodies hiding in that stuff.

 

[Pensmaster]

Never had bumble foot here. Wood chips abound.

@Kimlaxmom , since you are in planning stage, you have lots of opportunity to build a workable system from the ground up!!!! Exciting!

More details please: available space, existing flock size and coop/run set up in relation to shade trees, water availability, type of soil???? How big a garden do you want? Can you post some pics????

I love doing garden design work! In the mean time, check out this video: It's one of my favorites.

Also, since wood chips have been brought up, here's an other classic for you:

https://www.backtoedenfilm.com/

I'm looking to make a few raised bed gardens this year. Not sure if I want to make a run around the garden for the chicks. Any advice suggestions?

I’m thinking of fencing in a large area, in the center of this to the south side I’m going to put my coop dividing the area in thirds. Allowing total access to one side every other year. Any thoughts on best way?

 

[lazy gardener]

I would put a pop door on each side of your coop if that is an option, and then put a dividing fence. Or you could do a pop door in the middle and have a fence panel/gate that could direct them to the right or the left as they exit the coop.