Chickens are on "LOCKDOWN"

[Robin L]

My chickens are kept in a fenced in area until late evening while I have time to watch them and keep them away from the garden. I have discovered that if Im watering the garden they stay away from it. So now watering garden while chickens are out. I also have flower beds, when they first came up the chickens bothered them but once they are up they havent touched them. The chickens do dig in the mulch but Im possitive they are looking for bugs and I dont mind that. Im not sre if any of this will help you but I thought Id try to give ideas. Good luck!

 

[Hensense]

Just want to add that if possible I would not use the black plastic netting. Used this to protect some azaelas and other shrubs against deer and was dismayed to see that snakes would get caught in it and die a horrible death. So I won't use it anymore.

 

[smom1976]

Quote:
I found a bunch of marygolds on clearance this year and I figured it would be a nice easy addition to my garden and has prove to be so..

Now as for the chickens not liking them.. THEY LOVE THEM..

I did however go to lowes and bought the cute little decorative white fencing it is like 18 in by 20 feet long.. wire in a roll..

IT WORKED!~!! I am amazed the only chickens that can fit through the fence are my white crested black polish... and I can handle those guys... I just pick them out and plop them on the other side..

my plants are recooping nicely..

 

[Harley's girl]

I did not read through the whole thread (I need to go do town), forgive me if I am repeating what someone else said. You might try one of those blow up great horned owls. They are suppose to scare off red tailed hawks....and my chickens are scared to death of hawks. Worth a shot! Good luck!!

 

[spook]

well, we do have 3' fencing around the back 1/2 acre...fenced in veggie raised beds etc...now the girls think they need to strip some of the leaves off the veggie plants so we double fenced those and made barracades - they never hop over- I'm waiting for a dust bath between the cucumber or squash plants. UGH. Either way, the fencing around the back yard is the plastic type hardware cloth, cheap stuff you get from Walmart $10 for a 50 ft roll, and you can staple it or use the metal steaks. DH weaves colored string in it to allow it more support, also shows us humans were not to walk. I hate keeping our girls penned up, but if you don't, they keep moving and expanding their territory.
Oft I feel lie teathering them to a run wire that is on the ground, then they go so far and boink, end of string to the leg. I have NOT gotten this desperate yet, but could have very easily when I had that roo!!!

 

[annaserv]

I also just let my chickens out in the evening when I can herd them away from the house area. I also have some low fences around some of my smaller fussier flower beds (2 1/2 - 3 feet high).

They've been a bit naught this early part of summer. They really like to scratch around in areas where I've worked the soil up a bit. I have some area designated as their dusting and scratching area, where I'll go and turn the soil up with the shovel. They learn pretty fast that the shovel turns up worms and follow me around when I get out the shovel. I also have a compost pile they can dig in close by the coup too. But every now and then I get some wanderers that have been drifting out of their zone. I've pretty much locked my girls down for a week or two to let some of the plants get big enough, then they seem to stay out of the beds, just digging on the boarders.

It helps to plant aggressive plants around the coup area too.

Hey Robin L, I'm and Ashlander too, about 8 miles west.