Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[ChickenCanoe]

Quote:
IMO raised beds are the way to go but traditional watering methods only flush out nutrients.
Drip irrigation on timers coupled with mulch is essential for raised bed gardening.

 

[wsmith]

Ridgerunner wrote: "If you make the top of your fence wire instead of a rail that looks like something to perch on, it will be a lot more chicken-resistent"

X2

Also, Large Fowl hens "usually" don't make the effort to fly from the ground up over about 5 feet. That being said, they will go up in "steps", thus attaining higher levels, and possibly then fly over a fence.......usually....... Our Barred Rocks never flew that high, but our Aracuana rooster would. He was smaller and more..."vigorous"... that the lazier larger birds.

 

[galanie]

Like Ridgerunner, I too found that a line of some sort a few inches above the top of the fence works great. My young ones were jumping the fence, foraging in my neighbors back yard, and then coming back. I didn't even know it for weeks till they told me! The sneaky little things only did it on the side I can't see by the coop. I strung a line of narrow nylon rope about 4 inches above the top of that fence and they are staying in now. Once they get older (this breed, anyway - Orpingtons) they rarely want to or try to get over the fence so I'll likely be able to remove it then if I want.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I've got one raised bed like that, next to the house. It has the things I use most often in it. I usually have an assortment of salad greens and chard in it, along with a few herbs, plus radishes in cool weather. It's quick to run out there and grab some things for a meal. The main garden is farther out. I've caught the chickens looking at it a couple of times, but so far they've stayed out of it. I think I've had it 2 years so far, maybe 3. I'm ready to cage it if it becomes necessary.

The chickens love to rest squeezed under the lower shelf. I think they've gotten so used to napping under it, that they don't think much about going up on top. Plus, I've lightly sprayed them early on, when I felt they needed some hose therapy to discourage them.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Quote:
True to a point. Once they find out there's something tasty on the other side, they are much more motivated.
I have a Blue JG that flies out with the Jaers, Anconas and Leghorns.

I really do need to make that pen taller.

 

[jvls1942]

If your chickens can fly, taller fence is not the answer.. you might have to cover either the garden or their run..

every chicken is different.. for instance, a couple of my barred rocks fly with the guineas.. (wsmith)..

 

[wsmith]

Quote:
LOL. Maybe ours were just too fat and lazy.

I know younger birds are sometimes much more athletic than the older birds, but as stated, if they are motivated, they can achieve some pretty high flight levels, and for some long distances.

Our Aracuana rooster knew that there were bugs in the cow manure pile, so he was in there many times. We did the rope above the fence thing and it deterred him somewhat, but not completely. Yummy bugs are a great motivator.....

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
LOL. Maybe ours were just too fat and lazy.

I know younger birds are sometimes much more athletic than the older birds, but as stated, if they are motivated, they can achieve some pretty high flight levels, and for some long distances.

Our Aracuana rooster knew that there were bugs in the cow manure pile, so he was in there many times. We did the rope above the fence thing and it deterred him somewhat, but not completely. Yummy bugs are a great motivator.....

That's right..I have 5 BR hens and a rooster.. only 2 of the hens fly like that.. and yes, they are young.. gotta fatten them up, I guess..

 

[wsmith]

Yup fatten them up! Makes for better chicken and dumplings when they stop laying.... Dang, I'm getting hungry, and it isn't even kunch time yet!

 

[r4eboxer]

I do love my raised bed for carrots, as I have already stated

I don't think I could ever have enough raised beds for what I grow though. I usually do over 70 tomato plants alone plus all of my corn, beets etc etc. I can over 700 quarts of tomato products not counting my beans and every thing else.

The coop is right at the upper end of my garden, I clean the coop out and dump the litter in the garden from there.
I do have lots of room for my chickens and they spend most of their free range time in the woodline scratching out the leaves. I do put them to work in the garden in the fall and winter though. I guess I am just going to have to wait and see how they do with the garden. I will have to fence up my raised beds though. They didn't bother the carrots last year but I have a feeling they will hop into the herbs this year.

I have my ducks and chicks working the strawberry patch this fall and winter and the geese spend a lot of time in the bigger garden too. I don't think my geese are going to be an issue, they are too heavy to get enough flight to cross the fence.
Chickens working the tomato, bean, potato, cabbage etc garden

Ducks and chicks working the strawberry patch

My coop now sits in the green grass area at the upper end of the garden. So my chickens do have ready access to it. I just hope they PREFER the woods and bugs under the leaves.

One of the gardens, The chickens like the woodline you can see in this pic

My squash, corn and pumpkin patch. I plant squash between my corn to keep weeding at a minimum, you can see DH and half the garden in this pic

The other half of the squash garden

My cabbage, broccoli and eggplant

Apple trees and garden

Can't wait until planting time, I will be starting seed inside in 10 days.