Chickens in flower beds: Help!

[ChicknJ]

I added a motion detector sprinkler to my garden and it works, the run out the minute they get blasted

got it from charlies greenhouse supply a few years ago.

try keeping a hose handy and spraying them everytime they go in there.

Good luck, maters are growing........

 

[badnfluinz]

I tried the rubber snake a few years ago and the chickens killed it! They pecked it to pieces! Then I found a ceramic like rattlesnake that is coiled and rattled when you walk by and put out there. Still didnt work but kept my dh aunt away! Wish I had a video camera the day she went out to look at my flowers. Neighbors even had a good laugh and my dh came running to see what was wrong and she stood there crying until he picked it up and showed her it was fake. I couldnt do anything but stand there and laugh. It was hilarious. Mean but still funny. She is really gullable and we take advantage of it. But that was not meant to be for her. Even though she dont believe me.

 

[rebecca10782]

Sorry to say, but you are going to have to put a fortress up around your garden if you want to keep them out of there. The only objective in a chicken's life is to find something fresh and tasty to eat

Sadly, you can't have a gorgeous garden with chickens around

In my opinion, it is much more important to have happy chickens than a beautiful garden. Once they are used to free ranging, they are going to be MISERABLE if you keep them locked up everyday.

 

[OutdoorFun4]

Quote:
Rubber snakes? Motion detector sprinklers? No possibility for beautiful gardens?

I hope my wife doesn't read this! I'm already in trouble for my boondoggle of a coop.

 

[flakey chick]

I fenced my garden in about 2.5' high. It has been a deterrent, but they have free access to the compost and lots of other good places to scratch, so they haven't made the effort yet. My heaviest girl looks longingly at it though. When I am ready to let it go fallow, I will give her first dibbs and place her inside the fence.

Maybe you could give them a good garden of their own? A pile of mulch with some scratch mixed in?

 

[Msbear]

That's exactly why I have banties.. though my little roo loves eating my hosta

The bigger the feet, the bigger the damage. Maybe try 2ft. high picket fence around your beds. They most likely won't hop over them as they like to jump up, perch, then jump down. They dont' like sitting on the pointy pickets.

Good Luck

 

[Judy]

I fenced my veggie garden with 6' chicken wire; keeps my free ranging birds out. Unless your coop is really huge, I doubt locking them up would work out after they have free ranged. I'd be afraid they would just peck and feather pick, or worse, the little cannibals....

I have mostly shrubbery; they don't bother most of them, but have scratched around a couple types so badly they died. Only flowers I grew last year were zinnias and they did not bother them.

Only thing I can figure out is a large chicken yard made of chicken wire. Since it would only be to keep them in, it would not be expensive; a 150' roll of 6' chicken wire is only about $40 around here, and two of them makes a really nice sized yard. If there is a fence around the pasture you could add chicken wire to it, or at least a section of it, for not too much money or labor, if the coop is in or adjacent to the pasture.

You could try the picket fence but it is not cheap and I don't see why they wouldn't jump into the flowers from it.

I dunno. Chickens and gardens don't go together very well, except off season.

 

[rebecca10782]

Quote:
Rubber snakes? Motion detector sprinklers? No possibility for beautiful gardens?

I hope my wife doesn't read this! I'm already in trouble for my boondoggle of a coop.

Well, I meant without spending a bit of money

I think the only way of attractively protecting your garden is to build a good sized wood fence around it.

 

[erijn5]

I just keep raking and sweeping!!

Silly chickens! My husband has lost the battle of free range, but i think I think I lost the battle of buying anymore mulch. I may switch over to rock/gravel.

Will not look as lovely, but I will have to do what I got to do right?

I may try the moth balls first and see if they eat those I heard that may work. We will see!

Thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming!