Ideas on keeping them out of my garden...

[Balboaroc]

I have a flock of 11 hens and I would say my veggie garden is just as important to me as they are. My veggie garden is also very large and it is fenced in. It is about a 2-3 ft fence and a few of them have figured out that if they take a running start they can make their way into it.

At this point I'm not too distressed, just a bit peeved, because I'm attempting to do weed-free gardening and had laid straw down between what is planted already really pretty. Imagine my surprise of noticing the straw all moved around despite me never seeing a chicken down there.

I've seen them in the garden, just never saw them in the straw.

So I'm thinking a few ideas I wanted to kick around with you all. These are what I've thought of so far.

1. I could just leave them in the run all day until my garden is much more established. I do have a nice size run for them but it is bare dirt and I know they love their free ranging. With that said this is my least favorite option.

2. Get a bigger fence. Yeah I know but I don't have the money to upgrade to a taller fence and I already have all this fence for what I have already. Another not so favorite option.

3. Put some sort of thing around where I think they are jumping in at to scare them away from wanting to jump in the garden. I have a cast iron owl and I've heard shiny things blowing around will scare birds off. I do think my hubby would hate this idea and say the garden looks awful with shiny stuff blowing in the wind.

He would tell me I have a redneck safari going on.

4. Clip their wings? My girls don't fly per say but they do manage, this running start, and to get just enough off the ground to get over and back again. I do have a book that details on how to do this. Would a wing clipping be enough to prevent them from going over despite it only being 2-3 feet tall? Also should I do 1 or both wings?

 

[schellie69]

I would try clipping both their wings. Last year I used a 3 foot fence no problem they all stayed out of it. The did stick their heads through the wire and snag some leaves. I am keeping my girls penned this year since we are growing new grass. I would just put greens weeds, and grass clippings in their run should keep them busy and happy.

 

[danielle82]

 

[Uzuri]

Try the wing clipping first (if it doesn't work, no harm done, and no money spent).

Beyond that, the tall fence really is the way to go if you want to keep them out of anything. Even then, some are masters of escape.

 

[TeamChaos]

I would either try some twine with bird tape around the top to scare them away or I'd run some cheap bird netting over the top of where you think they're coming in and monitor it closely. I can honestly say that any chicken I've had that has had a run in with bird netting won't mess with it again. Just *keep an eye on it*, you don't want anyone with a broken leg or neck.

 

[annep]

Clip their wings, and we strung extra chicken wire over some fences here, just along the top to help keep them out..Has worked well.

 

[mulewagon]

Some of mine, when adolescent, could clear a six foot fence with clipped wings. But it may help, you never know! You could also try letting them out later in the day, so they have less time to get into mischief