Geese and My Wifes Flowers and Precious Plants?

[Snap62]

I have never had chickens running loose in the yard. I have always had them in pens.

However, that is about to change. I am gonna have some Red Jungle Fowl, Guineas, ducks, and yes... Geese, running around in the yard.

My wife is concerned that these feathered friends, may not be so flower and precious plant friendly.

I need to know what to tell her, but I have no experience with free range fowl, just in pens so far.

Need info now!

 

[crackertrail]

There's interesting things under the mulch.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Snap, I would say your plants and the tidy beds they are in, are history. Birds are just too curious to keep away from tasting everything and scratching in everything. Good luck.

 

[flakey chick]

I recommend fencing to keep the chickens out. We have a short fence around our raised bed garden that is quasi decorative- prettier than chicken wire. They probably could get in, but the area around the compost bins is more interesting so they prefer to hunt there.

Geese and ducks can be good for gardens. Ducks are good at eatting slugs. Geese are used for weeding- as long as the good plants are well established. These waterfowl don't scratch up so much with their webbed feet.

 

[I'M On Island Time]

My flowers and garden beds are totally destroyed from the chickens. They dig thrrough the mulch and end up uprooting the plants, ripping leaves off, crushing stalks.

I have a vegetable garden totally fenced off to keep them out of that, but the rest of it...I gave up. I ended up planting some evergreen bushes and stuff to fill up the garden space. I also rake the mulch up almost every day because they kick it out of the garden beds. I have a small decorative fence to deter them, but it doesn't work very well.

 

[Kiadaisy]

We have free range chickies, ducks and rabbits.... whatever the chickens pass up the ducks find delicious and whatever makes it past the first 2 groups the rabbits will devour!

Our solution has been to select areas where they can and cannot go. A short fence made of coated hog wire has kept all but the baby chicks out (too small to cause much of a problem). Areas that are mostly shrubs are left open for them to weed for me

, for shade in the summer, and as protection from any attack from above. Of course the garden is off limits to all, I've heard that ducks can be ok in the garden but I don't trust mine to have heard that as well. We have also laid chicken wire down on the ground (later to be covered by mulch) and cut holes in it to plant in. This keeps them from scratching the roots up but doesn't help if they find the leaves tasty. My chickies love the white pumice in potting soil and will dig at the base of plant for it, uprooting anything in thier way. Also the precious plants that you bring home in spring for annual color are often to pretty to resist for my chickies... I make domes of chicken wire for the plants to grow through to sort of protect them.

Hope this helps.... good luck with your birds!

 

[tasymo]

My six half grown hens are allowed free access, with supervision, to my gardens, since thier coop and pen are incorportated into it. I have found that though they do taste just about everything, they are especially fond of Queen Annes Lace (wild carrot) and Comfrey, and will eat that instead of my "real" flowers. I let several large clumps of it grow, just for them. Occasionally they will eradicate something if it happens to be where they think a dust bath belongs... but, I am definitely NOT an uptight gardener who's garden must be "just so". I prefer perennials that mostly take care of themselves, and stuff that reseeds, then rearrange it suit my desires. Now a veggie garden I would probably fence in, since my Girls LOVE thier veggies! Any seedlings or expensive plantings, I would protect from the poultry.