Chickens digging up flower garden

[aart]

Realistically you either fence them in somewhere, or fence them out of somewhere. The picture perfect image that people have in their heads of chickens idly wandering through a lush meadow is... usually staged.

Ditto Dat!^^^
Romance meets Reality!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/excavation-by-birds-a-word-of-warning.1086535/

 

[CT Coop]

Only if you can ignore the weeds....we moved recently and have planted everything but the lawn

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

You can't blame the chickens for doing what they do. They are chickens. They like to scratch dirt, search for grubs and worms and chase that down with a fresh salad of available green stuff. If you want to protect your garden something will have to be fenced in: chickens or garden? Good luck!

 

[Smcd18]

My garden is fenced off and anytime my girls see me open the gate they come running. I am convinced that there is no way to keep them from it other then fencing lol. I ended up giving them their own little garden with marigolds and lavender. I plan to add more eventually like sunflowers and such.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

How is it they haven’t destroyed the marigolds and lavender yet?

I realize that my herb garden and coop are planned for close proximity ... revising!

 

[Harley Chick]

bird netting!!!!! I have made a test area in the front of our driveway our girls loved to dig. Throwing mulch all over the driveway and making a total mess. I laid down bird netting secured with landscaping staples and they now avoid the area. Worked like a charm. I plan on using it in my flower bed island I have they love to shade themselves in and see if it's still effective.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

bird netting!!!!! I have made a test area in the front of our driveway our girls loved to dig. Throwing mulch all over the driveway and making a total mess. I laid down bird netting secured with landscaping staples and they now avoid the area. Worked like a charm. I plan on using it in my flower bed island I have they love to shade themselves in and see if it's still effective.

Will you lay it on the flower bed? Drape it over existing plants? I’m trying to figure out how to protect my beds. Thanks!

 

[Anime2lover]

I’m thinking about setting up a sprinkler for now. Would that drive them away? Also this wouldn’t be a permanent solution because I can’t leave a sprinkler going all day long.

You can get motion sensative sprinklers, ive seen them used for deterring stray cats from going in peoples yards.

 

[Harley Chick]

Will you lay it on the flower bed? Drape it over existing plants? I’m trying to figure out how to protect my beds. Thanks!

I just stretched it in the area, secured with those wire staples you would use for landscaping fabric, cut a slot around the plants and wa lahhhh. no more mulch on the driveway. I'll post a couple pics as soon as I can get them to download LOL

 

[Harley Chick]

First successful test of the bird netting to keep the girls from making a mess.

This past weekend (second test) I added the netting to our very large flower bed but only put it around the perimeter of the bed we have the curbing surrounding this area, the girls still can dig under the bird feeder for any seed that has fallen to the ground. They also like to sit in the shade of a very large rose of Sharon in the center,

yesterday they have started their usual digging but no mulch is thrown outside of "their" allotted space. Very pleased. NOW, only downside is pulling weeds and grass clippings that are thrown from the mover. I have not yet figured out how to irradiate that but for now I will just enjoy not having to deal with mulch everywhere.