How to discourage hens from tearing up my flower bed with bark mulch.

[aart]

I keep thinking there MUST be some kind of plant that repels them.

No magic plant.
Romance meets Reality.
Fence 'em in or fence 'em out.

 

[rocking2r]

No magic plant.
Romance meets Reality.
Fence 'em in or fence 'em out.

The crazy thing about all of this is that my older chickens aren’t interested in the flower beds at all. But this group of younger chickens loves to mess with my flowers. I’m going to try to train them! LOL. I’ve had chickens for 40 years and this is the worst batch of flower bed Destroyers I’ve ever had! They have free range as far as their little legs could carry them - lots of shade trees - lots of water - lots of bugs- lots of native grasses.

 

[Folly's place]

Carbaryl kill insects, and is not good to spread around 'just because'. It's
also off the list of approved products for chickens.
It's about fencing, as others have mentioned. Depending on what breeds you have, it's possible that even that 24" decorative fencing might be adequate.
Rocks around special plants can help. We have 2" to 6" diameter stones around shrubs next to the coop, so the birds don't dig dust baths there.
Mary

 

[rocking2r]

Rocks are a good idea. Thank you! I’ll have to buy them but that’s not a big problem. I never thought I’d wish to live in an area where there were lots of rocks! LOL. I always thought we were fortunate not to have to deal with the rock problem. LOL. I guess one Man’s trash is another mans treasure - if you can call rocks treasure. LOL

 

[Folly's place]

We have no rocks here! Sand, lotsa sand, and topsoil, and every single stone here I've carried in from other property nearby.
Mary

 

[getaclue]

Not trying to be rude, but

 

[Folly's place]

We had a one acre pond dug after moving here, and one fist sized rock found. One! It's a builder's sand resource, down ten feet at least.
Drainage is not a problem...
Mary

 

[rocking2r]

We have no rocks here! Sand, lotsa sand, and topsoil, and every single stone here I've carried in from other property nearby.
Mary

Oh Mary, I’m with you! But I found some large (3” +/-) river rocks right down the road at our little farm store. I think they’ll be attractive as well as functional. I’ll fix those little feathered foragers! LOL

 

[rocking2r]

I fence my chickens out of anything I don't want them to have access to. I tell people I used to have a garden, but now I have chickens, lol. Sorry I don't have better advice for you. Is Sevin safe for chickens?

Yes sevin is safe for chickens.

 

[aart]

Yes sevin is safe for chickens.

Not approved for poultry in the US tho.