Help! Opinions please.

[Mtnboomer]

I have 15 free range birds. They destroy our flower beds foraging and dusting. My garden is fenced with 8ft high welded wire to keep out the deer and bear and also chickens.

Either fence the gardens or fence the chickens. With only 3 birds, they will be quite hsppy in a large run.

 

[Isadora]

Your run size is plenty big enough for three chickens. It sounds like the problem is more your guilt, and the fear that they may not be "happy".
My suggestion would be to keep them penned up for most of the day and perhaps an hour or something before dusk when it's time to head back to the coop, you could let them out for some supervised free range time. I would also suggest doing it at the same time every day so they will learn the routine. If you let them out for free time randomly, they will always act like they are desperate to get out because they never know the next time it will happen. Best of luck!

 

[suzannesparks]

Your run size is plenty big enough for three chickens. It sounds like the problem is more your guilt, and the fear that they may not be "happy".
My suggestion would be to keep them penned up for most of the day and perhaps an hour or something before dusk when it's time to head back to the coop, you could let them out for some supervised free range time. I would also suggest doing it at the same time every day so they will learn the routine. If you let them out for free time randomly, they will always act like they are desperate to get out because they never know the next time it will happen. Best of luck!

It really is my guilt for sure.

 

[Chickstarrs]

Either give up the gardens, protect the gardens, give up free ranging the birds (12x12 run is, in typical conditions, good for 12-15 chickens), or give up the birds.

We have scattered gardens on the property, raised 4x12 beds. I put step in posts in the corners, and protect each with 4' netting. It keeps my chickens out, and is only a little inconvenient when we try and work the beds (by unhooking the netting on one of the long sides to offer access).

The chickens range between them, gobbling bugs. Win/Win/Inconvenient.

That is, the chickens who get around or over my electric fence (generally by landing on the top of the gate, first) to get into the gardens area.

Would you be able to post a picture of your setup with the netting on the raised beds? I have been trying to figure out how to do this without shutting the beds off to myself as well as the birds.

 

[MarshyRooster]

At least you don't have ducks in your garden! My four completely demolished it.
The next generation of ducks was not allowed in the garden .

 

[3KillerBs]

It really is my guilt for sure.

Don't worry. Chickens don't think like humans do.

Once they adapt to their new setting they will be very happy in the huge run with ALL the treats you offer instead of having to fight for the good stuff with a larger flock.

 

[3KillerBs]

P.S. It's a bit pricey, but the electric poultry netting from Premier 1 is great for giving your chickens access to different areas at different times while protecting them from predators (land predators, at least), and protecting your veggies and flowers from the chickens.

 

[Secondof9]

Three years ago I started out with 4 chickens and let them out to free range all day every day. What a mess!!! My experience was very similar to yours. They destroyed everything in sight, dug craters everywhere and uprooted most of my plants. My solution was to add onto the other side of the 4'x8' coop with an 8' x 32' run made of 1/2" hardware cloth. That way I don't feel guilty about keeping them cooped up. I no longer have them out all day every day, but partial days when I can keep an eye on them, although I don't watch them constantly. This year I also fenced in my vegetable garden with temporary plastic fencing and stick-in-the-ground posts. So far it's working well. Good luck!

 

[Isadora]

P.S. It's a bit pricey, but the electric poultry netting from Premier 1 is great for giving your chickens access to different areas at different times while protecting them from predators (land predators, at least), and protecting your veggies and flowers from the chickens.

One thing I will say about that fencing is that it's terrible on uneven ground. We have a lot of hills on our property and have a couple of those exact same fences and they ground out all the time. It's so frustrating. The ones that around my ducks right now I don't even have turned on. That being said, they are great if the terrain is fairly level!

 

[3KillerBs]

One thing I will say about that fencing is that it's terrible on uneven ground. We have a lot of hills on our property and have a couple of those exact same fences and they ground out all the time. It's so frustrating. The ones that around my ducks right now I don't even have turned on. That being said, they are great if the terrain is fairly level!

I admit that I've bought a bunch of cheap step-in posts from the farm supply store to help contour the fence over the lumps and bumps -- the white posts in the background of these photos. (The short green posts are holding the chick-tight inner curtain fence (plastic hardware cloth)).

They're not as tall as the good extra posts from Premier 1, but they do the job.