Is a fenced off garden cruel?

[seismic wonder2]

I was thinking of making a little raised veggie garden and fencing it off from the hens.

Then I got to thinking about how much my girls like tearing up the place and then I pictured them standing in dry dust, all scratched out, no bugs, no plants, no grass, looking hungry through the chicken wire at the lush fruits and vegetables greens and corn with lady bugs, inch worms, grubs, and caterpillars.

Tears my hear out.

I guess I'm just an old softie.

 

[ozark hen]

Perhaps you should make them their own garden (which will be gone very quickly) and then make one for yourself and FENCE IT IN.

 

[cherrychicken]

you silly goose! dont be worrying about your little devils being hungry! think of yourself!

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Unless you don't want a vegetable garden, I would fence it off. They will dig it right up and eat your vegetables, too. I had no tomatoes last year because of my bratty chickens.

Let them in the fall to till up the soil and spread fertilizer.

 

[theOEGBman]

Quote:
Amen! I like food just as much as my birds!

 

[Wildsky]

Mine is fenced off......

Once I've picked all the veggies I can - I'll let them clean up!

 

[warren]

Quote:
You will have plenty of spare veg for the hens. Leaves chewed by caterpillars, leaves with greenfly on etc. Anything you grow and don't need before it goes over ripe.

 

[DuckLady]

Well, if you look at it from the hens' point of view, you are insanely cruel and they should have you hauled before the Chicken Courts on charges of high treason and for violating the Chicken Bill of Rights.


Keep them out. that way you can enjoy your veggies in peace.

 

[MissPrissy]

Do you own the hens or do they own you?

 

[seismic wonder2]

I could just see them, barely standing, too weak to cluck, just feather and bones, leaning their little tear stained beaks over the fence straining and reaching for just a little bite of greens.....

LOL

But then I can see in the background the bag of feed I drove 200 miles round trip to buy, all the watermelon rinds, pecked clean, and the scattered carcus of mealworms.