Chickens in the orchard

[lazy gardener]

I'm planting an orchard this summer. Trees are waiting in pots, since they arrived as bare root plants while there was still 2' of snow on the ground, and the ground was still frozen. I still have soil prep to do, and need to plan my lay out. After doing a bit of basic research, it's no surprise that chickens will be a great benefit for managing orchard pests. They'll also help with soil fertility. The tricky part of management comes with being able to exclude them from the orchard when fruit is a temptation to them, and per some recommendations, excluding them from the orchard within the 90 day sanitation window (regarding manure contamination of food being harvested). So, here's the question: Any readers have experience managing poultry and orchards? If so, how do you deal with the conflicting needs? I have one tractor 6 x 8, as well as poultry netting that can be put into service. But, am having a hard time wrapping my head around the lay out of my coop, existing space for this project, and wondering how the chickens will fare with trees in their electronet enclosure. (Will the trees give them more opportunity to fly the fence.) I'm looking for stories of what has worked for you.

 

[curious chickee]

I don't have an orchard but here is my thought. Treat it similar to those who free range but also create an enclosed run for the time period where they need to be locked up. From the start train your chicks to roost in their coop/ run at night. I like to feed fermented feed at night to help wrangle them in, mine go nuts over it and chase me down to get it. My run is 22' x 23' with mature trees. My chicks would fly out of it if it was not covered. You could always clip the wings to minimize flying over. I used poultry netting as the cover so I could maneuver around the trees. I just slit the net up to the tree and then zip tied it back together around the tree. Let the chickens free range for most of the year than put them in the enclosure during the restriction period.

 

[phryan]

My coop is attached to a small 12x12 run, with 6ft woven wire walls. Attached to one side of that is a larger run also 6ft woven wire that contains some bluberries, there is a gate in between so that chickens can be allowed in or blocked out. Through the first small run they can also exit to a larger pasture area.

Occasionally will use the mobile poultry fence in the pasture if I want to either have the chickens eat down an area or keep them from one.

I plan to plant some cherry trees this summer, I plan to block the chickens from the area until they are established and get some height and most of the leaves/fruit are beyond their reach. Once the trees are mature and most of the fruit is 5+ ft from the ground I don't think my chickens will pose a danger, either directly or manure.

 

[lazy gardener]

Unfortunately, I can no longer allow my chickens to free range. Since we took down a lot of trees around their new coop, all the way to the property line, they bolt for the trees on the neighbor's property the minute I allow free range. I don't think the neighbors mind (much) but last time they were out... they crossed 3 property lines and were making a bee line toward the busy road.