Gardening with hens

[Chilly Lizard]

We have had a garden in the past and here's what we know grows well in our environment: tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and basil. Will any of these hurt our girls if they eat them?

 

[bruceha2000]

I don't know about basil but if you want to have any of the others for yourself (especially the tomatoes) I wouldn't let the chickens in there when the "fruit" is getting ripe.

 

[Chilly Lizard]

thank you!

 

[SueT]

None of those plants will hurt your chickens, but if you don't want your chickens to hurt the plants, i.e. dig them all up before they get established, you should protect the plants when they are small. And lettuce needs protection at any size, or they'll eat it down to the ground.
However, a volunteer basil plant came up in our run, and the chickens ignored it. I didn't notice it until it was large, and was surprised they hadn't trampled it. A tomato plant came up in there too, I put a little cage around it until it got big. They ate ALL the cherry tomatoes.

 

[Chilly Lizard]

None of those plants will hurt your chickens, but if you don't want your chickens to hurt the plants, i.e. dig them all up before they get established, you should protect the plants when they are small. And lettuce needs protection at any size, or they'll eat it down to the ground.
However, a volunteer basil plant came up in our run, and the chickens ignored it. I didn't notice it until it was large, and was surprised they hadn't trampled it. A tomato plant came up in there too, I put a little cage around it until it got big. They ate ALL the cherry tomatoes.

Ok, thank you!

 

[lazy gardener]

I would block off your garden, if only to keep them from destroying the plants or pooping on them. My birds are not allowed into the garden until I'm done harvesting.