My chickens are destroying my garden!!!

[j egger]

As the subject say's, my chickens are destroying my garden,

so here is what I need to know:
1: Is there some sort of plant that can repel chicken's by it's smell?(counting on all you gardeners here)
2: can I use fences? What kind do I use?
3: what other options do I have?
Thanks.

 

[HHandbasket]

Hi there! I have had that same experience, and we solved it by just putting up posts around the garden & surrounding it with chicken wire. Made myself a little chicken wire gate. The girls can't get in. It has been very effective.

When the plants mature a little, I do open the garden to the girls for short periods sometimes while I'm out there watching so they can do bug & pest control in the garden. Haven't had a single issue with garden buggies since the day the chickens came to live here. They pretty much keep all yard bugs under control, so there are fewer to even get into the garden in the first place. It has worked out very well. I don't let them in the garden at all from the day it's planted until probably a couple of months later, though. And I *never* let them in the beds where the lettuces and greens are. That's just askin' for trouble. Heheh.

When I do let them into the garden, the minute they start nibblin' at plants and leaves, it's time to go back out into the yard.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Most happy chickens will not fly over a 5' fence to get into a garden. A three foot fence? Not a problem for them to hop right in.

Mine is 6'. Still wouldn't stop a Sussex Roo. But, he was just scoping out the place.

 

[HHandbasket]

Fred's Hens, I love your setup there! Double thumbs up. Great looking roo, as well.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Back the beginning of the 1900's folks fenced their gardens and ranged their livestock. Now it seems it is the other way around

I'd fence it off to keep them out of it. If they have plenty of feed/forage they should not be getting into the garden. If they have worn their area to bare earth and see the green stuff on the other side you can bank on them doing everything within their little chicken power to get at the good stuff!! You can toss out extra seed into an area for the chickens too. I have too many lettuce seed for my needs, so I tossed some in the run for the birds. Some will come up.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

You've got a garden? I'm jealous. All I've got this year is mud!

 

[mistymeadowchicks]

Fred's Hens--I'm really hoping it doesn't require that much fence to keep the chickens out of the garden! I think I walked off about 600' including the raised beds. I do like your set-up though--very nice!

I did try electric fence (not the chicken mesh, just regular wire) & I'm doing something wrong. I can keep horses in w/ no problem but the chickens just go through it. Sometimes they even act like they're getting popped?? I'm sure it's operator error, but I haven't figured it out what yet. FYI, If you're letting chickens in the garden, I think the health dept./ organic gardening's recommendation is no fresh poop 90-120 days from harvest to prevent salmonella issues.

 

[helloroe]

I had to fence in my garden with a 5' fence with gate. They are allowed in end of season to till it for me.

 

[galanie]

Luckily I've got Orpingtons and although they can fly up 4 feet, they don't. I say that because I saw one do that in a panic once and once only, never have seen my docile, fat butted chickens do that again. So my 4' fence does the trick. I use cages since it's mostly 4x4 or 4x8 'squares' but for tall crops I just use portable 4 foot fences I made from PVC and netting.

 

[Zonoma]

I'm aware that chickens can destroy veggie and herb gardens but what about flower beds? Hostas, daylilies, tulips, and the like?