Insect Control

[alabiologist]

My chickens love being outside now and eating bugs, grass, etc. We also have a vegetable garden and are having problems with bugs on our potato plants. My question is, do you guys think I could use the chickens for insect control on the potatoes or will they also eat the potato plants? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

instead just put seven 5% dust on the potatoes
and forget the chickens at all
they don't do good in gardens
as you know chickens will die from eating tomato plants and potato plants

 

[alabiologist]

Thanks for the reply. I had no idea that tomato and potato plants are toxic to chickens. I was just trying to be more organic. You probably saved my chickens from being poisoned. Oh well, I guess I will just spray the poison.

 

[joedie]

You can try insecticidal soap and spray on the plants instead of chemicals.

 

[keysfarmgirl]

It is much better to try organic, natural pest repellents for your garden before resorting to chemicals. Google the issue and see what you find. You can buy soap repellents, or make your own. Don't forget, you are going to eat those chemicals when you eat the veggies. It is also soooo much better for the environment to use the natural stuff. Go organic!

 

[Mom2Twinz]

I fence off the veggie garden to keep the chickens out. I wish they would be good about eating just the bugs and not the rest! LOL It's funny...they often go over and stare through the fence longingly. Should get a picture of it some day.

 

[LynneP]

And oh my, the digging they do!

 

[wegotchickens]

I don't fence mine away from the tomato plants. And while they don't eat the leaves, I HAVE to make sure I get the tomatoes when they first start to blush or there will be a hole in the easy access ones!

I'd be tempted to let the chickers loose around the potato plants and see if they don't go after bugs only. OR, if the bugs are under the leaves, wander around pulling them off and tossing them to waiting beaks.

 

[mediazeal]

Quote:
Chickens will die from eating tomato plants? Do you mean if they eat the leaves? or do you mean from eating tomatoes? (no potatoes in my yard) I have tomatoes around my yard inbetween other ornamental plants this year, so no central vegies garden to fence off.

I have a neighbor that has oleander that hangs over the top of the fence a bit too
do I need to worry about bits of that falling into the yard and killing the chickens once I let them free range?

 

[millerwb]

Mine have "nibbled" on my Tomato Plants. I have a fence around the garden but any leaf that pokes out is "fair game" as far as the girls are concerned. They have not died yet.