Chickens are on "LOCKDOWN"

[Steve]

My barns and coop are about 400 feet from my house. Around the house my wife has a lot of $$$$ into flowers and plants......she has a beautiful flower gardens on all sides of the house.

At first the chickens stayed out by the barns and coop......they slowly made their way ever closer to the house, and for a while we didn't mind them in the shrubs and mulch......but yesterday my wife came home to the chickens destroying her flower beds.....flowers dug up everywhere.....

Don't get her wrong....she likes the chickens just fiine, even likes to pet and hold them from time to time......she asked if there was something we could spray on the plants that would keep the chickens out of them flower gardens she prizes so much.

So until I find something that will keep them out of all her flower gardens....their free ranging, flower destroying, poopin on the sidewalk days are done.....locked in the coop.

I could build a run, but I really preferred letting them go wherever they pleased on our farm, woods, lawn......anywhere but those flower gardens.

Anyone have any ideas?........

 

[Davaroo]

So until I find something that will keep them out of all her flower gardens....their free ranging, flower destroying, poopin on the sidewalk days are done....

Its called fencing​

 

[Steve]

Yeah I know what fencing is.....

....as I said, I could build a run, but I really preferred letting them go wherever they pleased on our farm, woods, lawn......anywhere but those flower gardens.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Sorry to tell ya that you will have to build a run or buy electric poultry fencing that isn't cheap ... There is nothing I know of that will keep chickens from messing up pretty lawns, flowerbeds and mulch, pooing on sidewalks or coming up on your nice deck with the hot tub!!...if there was I would have found it years ago...

 

[Farmer Kitty]

You could fence the flower beds. Not sure if it is really all that practical but, an alturnative.

 

[jaruca]

I think he means fence in the flowers...

 

[Davaroo]

I do mean fence the flowers.
You make tunnel fences that cover the flowers but allow them to grow out the tops.
Or erect small fence barriers.
Or erect bird/rabbit netting or even electric netting.
The object is to keep the birds from the flower BED itself. Lay down on the ground in front of the bed and look at it like a chicken does. A solution will present itself.

BTW, allowing your chickens to just roam and ramble is looking for trouble. The whole "free-spirit" thing is a set up. They will get into some trouble or you will, because of it, I assure you.
If you would provide for them the things they need and which your responsibllity entails, they should be controlled. They have no more smarts than, well, a chicken has. They depend on you for good stewardship.

 

[smom1976]

I have run into the same issue.. I have nice flowers planted outside my coop in a small 16 in wide bed running along one side of the coop/run. I think that they are just wandering into it.. so I went to lowes yesterday and there are so many cute decorative fencing out there.. I purchased one simple rolled wire one that just sticks into the ground I dont think that they will hop over it because the garden behind it is so narrow.. try looking into fencing in the flowers, or even poultry netting or straberry netting layed over the flowers..

(you know the thin black netting)

 

[MissPrissy]

Fence off the house section?

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Quote:
Dang, Elderoo...you must have awakened on the wrong side of the bed this morning!! You need to tell him how you REALLY feel...