My chickens

[Pam7383]

I have 33 chickens and 3 acres of land. My chickens have a 12 feet x 12 feet coop with a 60 feet long x 24 feet wide and 15 feet high fenced in area. The coop has 2 doors the front one to be let out into the yard and the back one to let them out into the pen. with all this they still want to be in the garden. Last year I planted corn, tomatoes and a variety of peppers. I planted cilantro, and onions. I put a huge plastic Great horned owl that has always worked for rodents and birds. But my chickens were not deterred with the owl. So last year I said goodbye to my garden. This year i started another but by the house and smaller in size. I dug up all the dirt about 4 feet put in 2 feet of garden soil and 3 feet of red mulch. I planted some herbs along with the tomatoes and peppers. I covered up the tomatoes and peppers temporarily to keep them out. But they dug up the new roses till they almost killed them. They ate almost all of one on three. They dug around the older ones but did no damage. They completely destroyed the Irises. I had dark and light purple, white, blue, pink, and yellow. I had one white bloom, one light purple, and 3 dark purple these are blooming now cause I had to fence the garden in. I put up some rebars and tied 4 foot lattice to the bars.They have not tried to fly in but they walk around it back and forth trying to find a way in. They did not touch or dig around the basil, peppermint, sage, or the salvia. but they destroyed the lavender.

I heard they do not like nasturtium. I was hoping there were other plants that can be planted around the edge
to where they don't want to get in. When my little fence was not finished and they could still get in they would dig up the mulch all 3 feet down till they got to the dirt they would find nothing to eat but would not stop give up. I got to where I hosed them down every time they went in and those that got a good hosing did not return. I know there are plants that will keep bugs out. Help