Hens in the yard & flowerbeds

[snow5164]

I think this would be called a “ hot button post”

, I noticed we still didn’t really help the poster with the problem

 

[kwhites634]

Question? How can one keep the hens out of the house yard. It has a 4' picket fence to keep cows, horses, goats out. Our house is in the middle of the pasture and the hen coops are portable and movable all over the pasture. I move them to fertilize the pasture and close the hens up at night for predator security. But they come to the yard and scratch the mulch out of the flowerbeds and into the yard. I shoot them with my red ryder BB gun and yell at them. They know to skedattle out of the yard. Then I have to blow the mulch every 2-3 days back into the flower beds again.

Any suggestion?

I keep them out of the garden with an extra 4' chicken wire fence above the regular fence. It is 6-7 feet tall. They stay out!!
db

www.bigoaksranch.net

As a matter of fact, yes, I do have a suggestion; actually 2 of them.
If the only way you can keep the chickens out of the flower beds is to pop them with a bb gun, then rehome the chickens.
DW's flower beds are on both sides of the front porch, & she doesn't appreciate mulch all over the yard, either. Whenever I take a break, & the birds are loose, I'll sit on the porch, in the shade, with the water hose handy. Very effective, and far less damaging than a bb gun!

 

[Chickassan]

Lol! Flower beds...I remember those. Seriously if you want to keep the beds net the tops of them so they can't get in to scratch. That plastic net is cheap, easy and you can barely see it.

 

[aart]

I keep them out of the garden with an extra 4' chicken wire fence above the regular fence. It is 6-7 feet tall. They stay out!!

There you go! You already answered your own question.

 

[RNPAULIE69]

I have many gardens around my yard..all mulched much to the hens delight. I have found even small barriers on the ones I don't want ruined help because I have left a few unprotected and don't chase the girls out of them..so far it's working