Chickens in the Garden...I need advice

[robinwiththechickens]

I have been asked to bring a couple of my very good natured and docile hens for "Show & Tell" at a Girl Scout event called "Girls in the Garden" hosted by a local community garden. I was asked because the event director is an old friend of mine and she knows that my hens are sweet and very calm around people, NOT because of my knowledge of gardening and the advantages of chickens in the garden.

I have heard that there are advantages to having hens in the garden, but I have such a black thumb that I gave up gardening years ago.

I'm sure all the girls (5th graders & up) would enjoy hugging a chicken, I mean, who doesn't right?

But what do I do with them after everyone has gotten a hug?

Are there any experts out there who would care to bestow their knowledge of gardening with chickens on me, so that I can impart some wisdom on the next generation?

Thank you.

 

[chicmom]

Oh my...chickens in the garden.....I would say, do not put chickens in a garden with new, tender plants, but once your plants are grown nicely, and well established, chicken would be excellent at catching unwanted insects like grasshoppers and leaf bugs.

I have a garden, and a flock of chickens, but the garden is inside my fenced yard, where the chickens can't get to it unless I allow them. Truly, chickens can be very destructive to plants, digging them up, roots and all!

One thing chickens are good for, is eating the vegetable scraps you throw out to them. Chickens love tomatoes and a fresh corn on the cob, and watermelon or cantalope rinds to clean off. They also love cool cucumbers.

I have a few hens that I allow in the garden to peck around, when I'm in there weeding, because I stir up insects and then they're right there to eat them! They do help with insect control.

The love strawberries, so don't let them into your strawberry patch!

 

[mo chicken lady]

Amen on that tomato problem!!!! My chickens got more mators last year than we did. Have to find somekind of fencing soon.

 

[UrbnFrmr]

Chickens are great for prepping the garden - not so great once the garden is planted. But during garden prep they will till the soil, eat the weeds and naturally fertilize the soil. Basically, they will do much of the work for you!

 

[chfite]

After hugging the chickens, everyone needs to wash hands.

Chris

 

[furbabymum]

 

[M3g4d37h]

i plant 3x as many tomatoes as I used to so the hens have their own place to frolic and feast.

My cousin just bought me a book called "Chicken Gardens" by Jessica Bloom, it's really interesting thus far and has given me some good ideas for changes/modifications.

 

[Leavingegypt]

My chick-a-doodles, who free-range all day, made a feast out of my tender young beans. Chewed every last leaf off! I had to remind myself that "I love my chickens I love my chickens, I love my chickens"- but I love green beans too.
My husband solved the problem for about $30. He bought slit fencing. It's used to prevent wash outs etc. It comes with stakes attached every 5ft or so. He just pounded the stakes into the ground so the fiber mesh touched earth. It has worked great. The stuff is about 3ft high, so I can just hop over it, barely. The chickens now just by-pass that portion of the yard.

 

[bj taylor]

maybe the only thing of chickens welcome in the garden is their poop.
my garden is going great guns right now. i don't want them in it.
they've practically dug up my rose bush. i had to put some fair sized rocks around it to keep it safe.

 

[devora]

Chickens in a garden. Uh huh.