How to keep the chix outta the mulch?

[pseudoyams]

Hey all!

I have 15 chickens that I let free range all day in my ~ 3 acre yard. The coop is in the back yard but they will occasionally come into the front yard the tear up the mulch on the flower beds. Kickin' it all over the place and rolling around in the dirt! Crazy girls. Is there any way to keep them out of those area? If not, what type of fencing works best to keep them in? I dont have a problem fencing them in to ~1 acre in the back yard. Theyll still be happy!

Id appreciate any info anybody can share!

Thanks!

 

[RickMiller]

We have four Austolorps and one RIR and they will not stay out of mulch either. We have mulch around two trees in the back yard and they were all over it. Their coop is about 14 feet away from the garden and I finally made a fence they cannot get over (plus I trimmed their flight feathers). I made frames out of 2x4's and used standard 4' high welded wire fencing. Each section of fence is 10' long and I sunk posts at each fencing joint. Their run goes up to the garden which is about 14' from the coop and then runs the length of the garden which is about 30'. I kept them confined to the run for about a month and then opened a section of fence so they could have the run of the garden. The garden fence is only 2' high but they no longer try to go over it. I can only assume they got used to not being able to make it over the run fence and now just think fencing cannot be gotten over.

Good luck

 

[pseudoyams]

Any body else have any recommendations for fencing or controlling them out of certain areas?

 

[trilyn]

I'd be interested in this too, gonna be mulching the front flower beds this week. Otherwise, I'm thinking if you can't beat 'em join 'em! Was thinking of making an extra large "mulch box" for the girls in hope of keeping their fuzzy butts out of the flowers. Yeah right, but I can dream!

 

[cybercat]

OK I have not done this YET but I know it will work. Since chickens are free ranging and yes my front is thickly mulched I will be putting up some low light weight fencing. Why I know this will work they have enough to free range without going there. It would be a big bother to them to fly over fence when there can get food from other places just as easy. I plan on using at least 3ft light weight fence. Want to protect roses and hosta when they come up. They left alone the daylilys and daffodils and my herbs that over winter just fine. They are debugging the mulch great but yes they are making a mess on the driveway with it.

 

[teach1rusl]

We went to decorative rock about two years ago, and love it. Our mulch would fade so quickly, and sometime would get moldy. The chickens don't bother the landscape rock.

Also, our garden area is @ 100ft x 50ft. Of course we're having to fence it off from the girls, so we went with deer netting. I love it. It's cheap, and NOT an eyesore...you can barely see it actually. DH has joked about our dogs running into it (which they haven't yet...lol). It comes in rolls generally, and is 100 ft. x 7 ft. I cut it in half to get more material for my money, and they have NOT attempted to breach it...I think because it's not very visable, so they're not really sure how tall it is??? It costs less than $15 a roll from lowes or home depot. Most garden nurseries carry it too, but it's more expensive. It kind of looks like black hardware cloth, except it's thin plastic. I let it overflow a few inches where it meets the ground, because I've heard others say that (because it's flimsy) the chickens can push it up and wriggle underneath. They have not attempted it with mine. But you can always stick a few landscape staples in if they are...

 

[cobrien]

I use something like this to keep my girls out of the garden:

http://www.redbrand.com/products/product2.asp?category=Fence&subcat=2&productID=24

it has 1"x2" openings, and is 5' tall, and you can buy steel posts that work with the fence (they pound into the ground). I have heavy breed chickens and they don't fly over it. I think if they were very interested in getting to the other side, they might be able to, but they have enough other space so they haven't bothered. A bantam that I used to have would fly right over it but she is no longer with me.

I also think it could work to lay down chicken wire or plastic netting directly over the mulch to keep them from digging in there, but of course they can damage whatever you plant.

 

[augustmomx2]

I'm not sure how, short of enclosing the entire area with wire/fencing

My girls LOVE mulch as well, so much so, I have decided to make their entire run mulch, very deep and they can scratch their little hearts out!