Having a veggie garden and raising chickens....those who do, give me you best ideas as to get them t

[Kyzmette]

I wish I could post a video... I taught my chickens to garden with me. I would carry them into my fenced garden and set them free. They always stayed right next to me as I weeded, because they knew they would get all sorts of tasty snacks. It got to the point where I could sit down in the cabbages, lift the leaves, and they would pick off any worms just as quick as lightning. Wash, rinse, repeat... it was a win/win for everybody!

 

[hosspak]

I have 2 chickens in a small coop that fits over my garden boxes. They can dig up that box all they want (adding much fertilizer) and basically cultivate it at the same time. We move them from box to box over the winter. When they are done with a box we turn under more straw and poop and cover with plastic to cook the soil. But you can't have a nice garden and let the flock have at it at the same time. They love fresh greens, EVEN tomatoes... Fence them out and toss them the cuttings......

 

[Beekissed]

I wish I could post a video... I taught my chickens to garden with me. I would carry them into my fenced garden and set them free. They always stayed right next to me as I weeded, because they knew they would get all sorts of tasty snacks. It got to the point where I could sit down in the cabbages, lift the leaves, and they would pick off any worms just as quick as lightning. Wash, rinse, repeat... it was a win/win for everybody!

Mine will do this also...they like it that the big hen has a bigger scratching tool and can surface more things to eat. They even follow me when I rake leaves, waiting patiently until I get an area cleared before they move in. They eat faster than I rake, so they are always left waiting until I finish a swath.

 

[hosspak]

Mine will do this also...they like it that the big hen has a bigger scratching tool and can surface more things to eat. They even follow me when I rake leaves, waiting patiently until I get an area cleared before they move in. They eat faster than I rake, so they are always left waiting until I finish a swath.

Unfortunately, my grandkids use the rake as a shield against the roo's. But they do love when I open the garden to them.

 

[countrycakelady]

A fence it will have to be then .......I have 14 very 'industrious' girls, rofl.......they have done a number on the pine straw around the trees in the front yard already! I don't mind....but I will have to do some sort of fencing......thanks for the pics and ideas......

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Our main garden is fenced in, but we have several raised beds that are not, and the chickens love to dust bath in them and of course demolish all of the vegetation.

The solution? Lock them in their yard.

I fenced in my compost pile for them, and plan on building them a coop inside it. Not only will it keep them out of trouble, but they will be turning the compost and creating more while they're in there.

Blessings -

~ Aspen

 

[jenniemig]

Well, this thread has me rethinking my garden and coop plan.

My plan was the coop and run at one end and the garden fenced for their free area. But, if they're going to destroy it then no way!

When I had hens before they free ranged a good part of the day and had open access to my raised beds garden. I used only organic means for pest control, aka chickens. I always had issues with different types of insects, especially stink bugs and caterpillars. When I would open the gate to their run it was like the start of the Kentucky derby, they raced straight to the plants and started picking bugs off. I did notice that they would occasionally get a flower or tiny green tomato, but no real damage. They were also great a picking out the weeds. I should add that they didn't come along until the garden was established and the plants were large.

Has anyone had a similar chicken/garden experience or were mine just weird

 

[KWoodardRN]

I have problems with my girls destroying my flower beds so this spring thinking about making them their own back beside their pen and planting some cheap plants in it so hopefully (fingers crossed) they will leave the ones around the house alone.

 

[Beekissed]

Raised beds are just a little different and it's according to how high they are raised. If low, they will treat them like much of the forage area. If high, they might hop up into them to glean bugs or nip some fruit but they won't stay there and steadily forage unless it's a very large, wide bed.

You might have your coop at the edge of the garden, fence them alongside the garden area and then use your garden area for pasture rotation at the end of the season. Some people fence the garden and place fencing around the garden fence about 4-6 ft. out and make a "moat" style paddock wherein the bugs all around the garden have to run the gauntlet of the birds before getting to the garden.

 

[KWoodardRN]

Good idea we did a raised garden last yr close to our house because the other critters deer, rabbit, crows etc were getn the veggies b4 we could. Up closer to our house we actually got the goods last summer. Their coop is attached to their pen and it's a big 10x10x6 pen that we are adding on to so it's too big to move for them to be closer to garden. Thanks for ideas