Landscaping and Plantings for a Free Range Flock

[memphis]

I have to admit that my chickens are banned from my garden area until early winter. By then the plants are below ground and the girls spend the winter shredding the leaves....and fertilizing. My garden is mostly natives. I have a stone path from my house to a gate that opens onto the chicken/turkey yard. So i have "my" yard, and they have their yard!! However, I have found that my two pet turkey hens are not nearly as destructive in the gardens as the chickens. So I have been letting them "help" me! They tend to just wander around and not scratch up or eat things like the chickens do.

Here is Annie....exploring part of my garden...

 

[memphis]

This is the gate between my yard and their yard. And thats Daisy supervising my gardening efforts.

 

[Teila]

Tee hee Memphis, those pictures are so cute!

As I mentioned, I only have 5 x banties so their damage ratio is lower than bigger birds. However, I have also noticed that the feather footed girls do less damage than the non-feather footed girls.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Tee hee Memphis, those pictures are so cute!

As I mentioned, I only have 5 x banties so their damage ratio is lower than bigger birds. However, I have also noticed that the feather footed girls do less damage than the non-feather footed girls.

Last four ladies I had (2 EE & 2 RIR) killed my plants, ever have any other done so much destruction. Hoping this next set won't be so destructive. Although I've been hearing Banties & feather footed won't do as much damage. Thinking of trying Silkies next time...

 

[Teila]

Howdy ChickNanny13 I do not have any Silkies at present but I have had them in the past [RIP my little sweeties].

In my experience, yep, there were definitely less destructive than for example the Bantam Leghorn I had.

My Bantam Cochins [aka: Pekins here in Aus] definitely do less damage than my Bantam Langshan [partially feathered feet] and Silkie X Pekin [no feathers on feet].

As I mentioned in my earlier post, having my more treasured plants in pots definitely seems to reduce the destruction.

When the plant is young and has not filled the pot, I usually place a few garden ornaments in there to deter digging if the girls do jump up or in the case of Ming the Mandrin who is a newcomer, some plastic wire also deters digging:

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I am learning a ton already from you ladies! The feather footed, turkey grazing, wire mesh in pots. Tons of good information!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Posting to subscribe.  I am not into "pretty"  So my yard is over run with volunteer banana plants and coconut trees.

I will mainly just follow this thread I think.

Ralphie if you get a chance post some pics of some of your better banana and coconut trees. ( I love the one with the nest in it) or some of those lush burning nettles.

 

[memphis]

So here is what I'm curious about. Do any of you plant winter forage? I plant winter rye. I've also planted a winter wheat along my fence line.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

For me Memphis, we do not. There's usually 2-3 feet of snow covering all over. DH has a "clover loop" in the woods for deer browse. He did use rye grass to get it going (so the deer didn't paw it up when it was young)...but this was quite a few years ago and I'm thinking it is over grown now with other invading plants/weeds. Last winter we had very little snow though...an exception to the norm. So if this is a new trend...then something like that could be considered I guess and what a good idea.

Right now I have in my run grass clippings from this summer in my covered run. To help get them something green through the winter. I was careful to spread them out to avoid mold. They seem to be drying nicely.

 

[memphis]

I like saving the the clippings idea. What kind of grass? I spread my clipping in their yard. In piles. They have a blast scratching through it. I have St. Augustin down here. I usually wait till it puts up little seed pods before cutting. I overseed with rye in the back & actually have to cut it a few times in the winter. My back yard is huge, but all shade. I have a worse time growing things back there in the summer. I have an old pecan grove, and not much grows in the shade.