how do I keep free range chickens out of landscaping?

[jerseybillfromva]

Hi. I'm new here. and new to raising chickens. 6 wks ago purchased 2 bantys and 2 reds. both young layers. Am letting them free most of the day now. The more comfortable they get, the more they tear up the mulch in the few landscaped areas we have. The wife aint happy! I ve trained my border collie to run 'em off, but he's with me at work all day. She doesn't want to fence in the landscaping. Is there something I can put down to discourage them? pepper? something like that? thanks.

 

[CMV]

Chickens have no taste buds for the hot stuff, so that isn't going to work. The only way to keep your chickens out of your gardens is with a fence. Sorry.
Edited to add-

 

[Illia]

I'm not sure what else there is you can do but surround the landscaping with a low fencing of chicken wire. . . It usually does the trick, as for some reason at least my chickens respect a line of chicken wire, even if it is only a couple feet tall.

by the way -

! Free ranging is always the way to go though. . . But we stopped a complete "free range" on our girls due to problems like getting into the gardens, so now we have 3 acres of a fenced off, very wild-type pasture for them. They LOVE it, especially all the things that grow in there.

 

[moonlyghtegirl]

Don't let them free range, or get a fence, or get a tractor. They have no regard for what you want.

 

[kezabel]

Mine have their own area of the yard fenced off, its pretty big for 8 chickens. You won't be able to stop them going in the gardens with out a fence of some sort, they love to eat the grubs and scratch up the garden to see what they can find to eat. I had a chick wire fence but because they could see through it they would fly over it to get to the nice green garden on the other side, I ended up putting up a color bond fence and now they can't see the garden they haven't flown over to it.

 

[dieselgrl48]

Good luck lol.The most of my front yard and the outside of our 4 ft fence has been nothing but dirt last couple years.We did move out for 3 months and then We got lucky and got to move back.I had planted grass and stuff last summer and I actualy have some now this time.Hubby says oh no here We go again a couple of our free rangers are flying in already.I doubt I will ever have the number of birds I had before and and working hard trying to keep the ones I already have in coops near house in their own area's.Hubby says We should move to Mexico or AZ and wont have to worry about grass cause I not gonna give up on my bird's lol.

 

[DianeB]

Yeah, chickens eat hot peppers like candy. Fencing is the only way to keep them out.

Edited to add that well established perennials can withstand chicken damage pretty well.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Obviously your birds don't have you trained yet.

If they aren't destroying any plants, I've learned to relax and enjoy the spectacle - usually takes me 15 minutes to rake the mulch back into place once a week. Now in July, this year I'll have to figure a better way to keep them out of my melon patch.

 

[fowlmamma]

my husband complains daily about this . our side walks are covered with mulch. i think im going to try a little fence.

 

[lemurchaser]

I have the same problems. I've had some luck keeping them off my porch (where they like to hang out and poop, because its covered and sheltered from the rain). I've used the Ssscat product: http://www.multivet.net/en/products/ssscat/ It is a motion detector that sprays compressed air when triggered. It works but it tends to run out of batteries, leaving it on all day.

I've just bought the scarecrow sprinkler: http://www.amazon.com/Contech-Electronics-CRO101-Scarecrow-Motion-Activated/dp/B000071NUS which is a motion activated sprinkler. Haven't got it set up yet, but I'll let you know.