How to keep chickens out of flowerbeds and such?!

[michigancowgirl201]

Ugh! Well I was hoping that you guys in here would have a bunch of wonderful ideas on this! hahah Anyone ever tried the moth balls???

 

[michigancowgirl201]

Ugh! Well I was hoping that you guys in here would have a bunch of wonderful ideas on this! hahah Anyone ever tried the moth balls???

 

[southernsibe]

I hear your pain!!! But don't use mothballs, they are toxic not only to your birds but any other wild life.
Rachel

 

[Cabe]

Instead of mulch I use river rocks, you can buy them by the bag at walmart or home depot just like you would mulch. I don't have any problem with the chickens scratching in my flower beds any more. Plus they last forever

 

[ozark hen]

I fence in my vegetable garden but let the chickens aireate (sp?) the flower beds. It is a trade-off

 

[littlelemon]

Do you think some netting may work? I put some deer netting (the same kind I use to cover the run) over my freshly planted garden the other day and it seemed to help. Once the chickens walked on the netting and felt it on their feet they stayed away. It is temporary because I expanding the chicken yard and the fence is down at the moment.

 

[Nichole77]

I don't know but I am going to try the upside down tomato planter to keep them away from those. You can also use them for other plants. As for flowers I will plant vines and also put some in the front yard. They will jump up and snatch the leaves off my trees.

 

[ruth]

Like others have said = if you find a way to keep them out of your beds/gardens other than totally fencing them out - please let the rest of us know.

I have discovered that they don't dig up stuff if it's tightly planted together. They were getting in my herb beds and flower beds and vegetable garden and digging in the large gaps between plants till I filled in all the gaps. Now they don't seem so interested in getting in there and digging. I think just looking at all that nice mulch and deep black dirt was just too much for them. Fill in all the gaps and they find somewhere else to dig. I've even planted my vegetable garden so tightly packed that they seem to have lost interest in it.

 

[chessrafter]

By the time I got chickens, I had already covered my raised bed vegetable gardens to keep the squirrels from digging up my plants. However, I have several plants in large pots scattered throughout my yard that are not covered. At first, the chickens didn't seem to notice, but just yesterday I caught them up in the pots eating the new leaves off my goji berry bush! I plan to stick plastic forks in the pot (pointy side up) to keep them out. If that doesn't work, I will probably have to cover the pots with chicken wire!

 

[MakNat]

I use a really low electric fence wire. UH.. I have a goat too that just runs free with the dogs. {We live in the sticks on a dead end road.} The goat is what started the fence. If its low enough works for me 'bout 75% of the time.. for the chicks that is..!!