Gardening with chickens (and other poultry)

[Daisy8s]

For the last two days my rooster has rounded up my hens and chased them out of my garden! He's actually serving a purpose!

My garden is fenced with a picket fence. Some of the birds can fly over it and others can crawl under it but the rooster is so big he can't do either. It distresses him when his girls are inside the fence and he's stuck outside. He paces and crows to get them back.

So, I open the gate and let him come in. Within minutes he calls them, chases them, whatever until they are all safely outside the fence again. It's hilarious, yet so effective. They listen to him far better than they do to me (anyone who has attempted to herd chickens will understand how fruitless an activity that can be!).

So, my rooster may be the savior of my garden, go figure.

 

[Guinea and Chicken raiser]

yeah... but chickens are not garden birds. they eat leaves and flowers and baby fruit growing... i have mine eat wild raspberries. my man says they'd eat all the flowers before they made fruit. but guinea fowl are complete opposite. guineas are garden birds. they do not eat plants like chickens would.

 

[Guinea and Chicken raiser]

last year, i tried to grow squash and melons, none came up, but plants got medium size... the chickens do not eat squash bugs. they stink anyways, so i wouldn't figure they would... i tried to show them and they pass.

For the last two days my rooster has rounded up my hens and chased them out of my garden! He's actually serving a purpose!

My garden is fenced with a picket fence. Some of the birds can fly over it and others can crawl under it but the rooster is so big he can't do either. It distresses him when his girls are inside the fence and he's stuck outside. He paces and crows to get them back.

So, I open the gate and let him come in. Within minutes he calls them, chases them, whatever until they are all safely outside the fence again. It's hilarious, yet so effective. They listen to him far better than they do to me (anyone who has attempted to herd chickens will understand how fruitless an activity that can be!).

So, my rooster may be the savior of my garden, go figure.

 

[albert w]

Loving this thread! I'm recently back into chickens after a long absence. I used to bring a few hens in the garden with me. My gardens are always arranged so the taller plants, like tomatoes and potatoes were to the north, with the lower plants like bush beans and lettuce to the south. This worked well because I'd keep the chickens north of me and away from my beans and lettuce. I never had much problem with them pecking
At the tomato buds. The main problem was that they would often break the garlic and onion stems. When my garden matures, they'll be in with me again this summer!

 

[SkyeSchazade]

For the last two days my rooster has rounded up my hens and chased them out of my garden! He's actually serving a purpose!

My garden is fenced with a picket fence. Some of the birds can fly over it and others can crawl under it but the rooster is so big he can't do either. It distresses him when his girls are inside the fence and he's stuck outside. He paces and crows to get them back.

So, I open the gate and let him come in. Within minutes he calls them, chases them, whatever until they are all safely outside the fence again. It's hilarious, yet so effective. They listen to him far better than they do to me (anyone who has attempted to herd chickens will understand how fruitless an activity that can be!).

So, my rooster may be the savior of my garden, go figure.

 

[snoggle]

last year, i tried to grow squash and melons, none came up, but plants got medium size... the chickens do not eat squash bugs. they stink anyways, so i wouldn't figure they would... i tried to show them and they pass.

I've heard your guinea fowl will eat them fabulously though.

 

[JulieNKC]

last year, i tried to grow squash and melons, none came up, but plants got medium size... the chickens do not eat squash bugs. they stink anyways, so i wouldn't figure they would... i tried to show them and they pass.

x2, mine wouldn't touch the things. I have ducks now, hoping they eat them.
I have a little sizzle with chicks who I let in the garden to eat bugs. They are little and have done well at leaving the plants alone, although once there's more in there I won't trust them as much. Once the squash bugs come I'll be putting a pair of calls in the garden to see if they'll help clear out bugs. I used the garden as an outside daytime brooder for my poults last year and they did wonderful in there until they got too big and started knocking plants down.

 

[HardWayMike]

Great thread! Please keep the info coming everyone. This year will be my first for both ventures. I am currently gathering materials to start the chicken adventure and I have my seized up rototiller soaking with diesel hoping that it will free up in time to get some tomatoes and other veggies grown before fall.

 

[snoggle]

If you can put the chickens in a chicken tractor over your garden site, you won't really need a tiller. Just let them till it for you.

 

[bnjrob]

If you can put the chickens in a chicken tractor over your garden site, you won't really need a tiller. Just let them till it for you.

That's what I want to do this fall when my chicks are bigger and older. I figure they can till up the whole spot, I can add in some amendments that need to sit and simmer, then in the spring have them till things up again so I can plant. I hate our tiller - it is front-tine and difficult to manage on our uneven ground so having chicken tillers would be terrific.