Eating my flowers!! Help!!

[Chocodreamer]

My husband let our chickens out of the coop to roam around the yard on a daily basis for the first time. The coop is out in our backyard. I planted some petunias in some planters at the "front" of our house just like I have every year. Now that the chickens are roaming free, they wonder around to the front of the house and they are eating all my flowers! Some are eaten down to just a short stalk. I'm very upset about this. I tried setting a couple plastic lawn chairs in front of the planters when we are away to try to deter them, but it doesn't help. I really wanted my flowers to look nice for the July 4th holiday (red,white and blue). This is causing problems now between me and my husband (since the chickens were his idea). Is there "anything" I can do that would stop them from eating my flowers? Is there anything I can sprinkle on the flowers that wouldn't hurt the flowers or the chickens, but would stop them from eating them? Any and all suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Kristina]

Sorry but you'll have to just protect the flowers. The chickens will eat em.

The only thing I can say is make a chicken wire "canopy" over them to protect them and let them grow back. Then if you have company for the 4th just remove the canopy while companys there. Just a suggestion.

 

[chickflick]

Find flowers that the chickens don't like. l have lots of flowers that the chickens have not touched. Lantana, shasta daisy, roses, cone flowers, hydrangea, sedum, yarrow, to name just a few. Just don't ask me about my hostas!!