Chickens in flower beds: Help!

[erijn5]

I love my chickens, and I love them free ranging, and they are loving my flower beds something terrible....

What is a simple non-lethal way to keep them out?

I have tried to put a fence around them, and it was 3ft high and the chickies just flew right over them. I know they love digging through the mulch, but they are killing me, I have 7 acres and a nice horse pasture for them to graze in. What gives? DH wants to keep them locked up, but that would break my heart! Ideas? Thanks

 

[Morgaine]

How about making the wire arch over the plants?

 

[TammyTX]

I used a 4 foot long black rubber snake in my green peppers to keep the neighbors guineas and the crows from pecking them. Worked great last year.

 

[erijn5]

My beds go all the way around my house, and I have 3 more randomly in my yard....has anyone used moth balls? I know they eat everything! This is a sticky situation!

 

[buck-wild-chick]

Chicken wire

 

[CityChook]

I had an orange rubber snake in my garden last year. I think it consistently scared me more often than it phased the hens.

 

[hippie]

i've tried the mulch thing too, it sure does attract the chickens. they love tomatos as well. i think that if you use large gravel and weedmat they will quit scratching

 

[illinichick]

So far, (keeping my fingers crossed), my mulch loving hens have not destroyed any of my flowers. I do end up raking and sweeping the much off the sidewalks every evening. when they decide to go for the flowers, they'll be confined to the back part of the property with fencing.

 

[jtbuck]

We finally had to pen ours up as nothing works unless you fence in your house and gardens NAHH!!!!!
They love to scratch for bugs and don't really care about your plants or yard.
I'm in the process of building new pens with what I hope will work- big runs that connect to pens-
I noticed my hens don't usally fly over my horse fence but the roosters do, so maybe it will work as I have 50 more young-uns getting ready to come out and play.OH MY

 

[chickchickchick1]

I can sympathize with your chickens in your gardens. i'm having the same problem! i need some help/advice, too. my neighbor has a dozen hens that he lets out of the coop every morning that stay out all day until supper time, and they prefer our land to his. as soon as they're let out, they head straight for our property, so I know why chickens cross the road. he's not agreeable to keeping them cooped, so will the chickens be deterred by a 3' fence, or is that a waste of time? let me say I like chickens and when he had only 3 or 4, they were fun to watch. But now, this flock descends on my garden and areas around the house and scratch deep holes looking for food and more for dirt baths, not to mention chicken poop, which my dogs adore. he has just gotten a dozen more so as soon as they're big enough there will be about 24 roaming my property. any suggestions would be appreciated!