Chikns in d garden -- "what about the garlic!"

[amiachicknorwat]

Hi, I let the chickens into the garden to clean up aphid larvae etc and basically just to cut 'em loose as spring sprung with a nice sunny day. They had plenty of fun so wasn't so dampening by the time my partner cried out, "what about the garlic we planted last fall!" You could see they were digging a wee deeper than mere scratching and pecking. After putting them back in the coop/run i saw they had exposed the mulched garlic sprouts, but doesn't look like they went for the garlic itself. However i dont know how many, if any, of the garlic sprouts they munched whole. My question then stands: is the garlic safe or should i fence around it leaving them the rest of the garden till we plant it? Thanks, ChickeNick

 

[bobbi-j]

It's probably perfectly safe for your chickens, but I'd fence it off anyway if you want to have any to harvest this summer.

 

[lazy gardener]

Garlic is safe, and many flock owners use it as an anti helminthic. But, as BJ says, if you want to enjoy it yourself, put a fence of sorts between them and the garlic!

 

[aart]

X3 on them tearing up the plants.

Not sure I'd want 'fresh' chicken poop on my food garden.
I let them do that in the fall, then let it sit over winter to 'mellow'.