chickens and vegetable gardens??

[Indychick]

We have learned the hard way that we don't have chickens, we have chick-o-tillers! They have eaten up my new lettuce, they loved the broccoli rabe, scratched up my newly planted sunflowers, attacked the peas...the list goes on. I know they can't help it b/c everything looks so good but I just hoped that they would just eat the bugs. So we are going to fence ours off too. Good luck!

 

[Judy]

Yeah, my hens free range so I have a 6' cheap chicken wire fence around the garden. Works so far. Going to plant some of the tomatoes on fenceposts inside the garden. Will share those tomatoes with the chickens. They do love them.

It's fun turning them loose in there after the season. They sure do a good job cleaning out bugs and grubs and slugs.

 

[zatsdeb]

Quote:
I actually inquired my delawares from a lady who could not keep them out of her garden, she ssaid they ate everything and she could not stand it, I have fencing around mine so had no problem last year

that is what inspired my husband to put a big fence around the entire garden, now we let the guineas in though, they are much easier on the garden and they eat the bugs!

 

[montcapu]

Quote:
I actually inquired my delawares from a lady who could not keep them out of her garden, she ssaid they ate everything and she could not stand it, I have fencing around mine so had no problem last year

that is what inspired my husband to put a big fence around the entire garden, now we let the guineas in though, they are much easier on the garden and they eat the bugs!

I have guineas and absoluting love them... they seem to know what is off limits and what they can and want them to have

 

[vtsarahb]

6 ft. fence?? Will a 3 ft. fence keep them out? I have all large breeds so I was hoping they wouldn't be able to hop over 3 feet...

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I don't think a 3' fence would be much of an obstacle to any chicken eyeing all that tasty green stuff on the other side. I'd save myself heartache & go with 6' right from the start. You could even use plastic fencing if all you're trying to keep out is the chickens.

I had to fence up to 8' one year when the guineas decided the garden was theirs. They didn't do as much damage as the chickens would, but they did nip little bites along the edges of all the lettuce leaves. I didn't mind but Mister was offended.

 

[vtsarahb]

oh man.... my boyfriend is going to be mad! He just finished putting up a 3 foot fence all around our veggie garden

 

[cybercat]

Nope nothing short of at least 6 feet will work for chickens. Once they make it in they will continue to try to get back in no matter what.

 

[RavenStorm]

Veggie Gardens + Chickens = No Veggies.

Like others here I learned the hard way, and no matter what I did I could not protect my winter salad lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes from their hungry little beaks. They completely denuded the parts of my passion fruit vine that travels through their area. I finally had to build what we call the Great Wall of the Backyard to keep them out of the one area I have left.

 

[JennsPeeps]

A 3' fence kept my thud-butts out of the garden last summer. I doubt it would this year, as my BSL has discovered that she can flap HARD to get herself to the top of their 5' pen.

Veggie Gardens + Chickens = No Veggies.

I'd modify that to "Veggie Gardens + Chickens = No Veggies for you".​