my destroyed yard

[Chickenaddict]

I feel very fortunate to have several gardens with perrenials as well as 3 big veggie gardens, one belongs to the chickens. I plant veggies in there for them. They free range all day everyday on an acre and altho they spend alot of time in the garden they never destroy anything. They don't even pluck the pea pods off the vine, they patiently wait for me to do it for them. They do dig holes in the yard but thats about it. They seem to be very careful around all my plants, the only thing they don't like and dig up all the time are the "hen and chicks".

 

[WisconsinGardenChick]

You either have to fence your garden or fence your chickies. Since I have vegetable and flower beds all over the yard, I fence the birds. They have a pen, but I use plastic netting for temporary fencing that I put up in different places every couple of days to keep them from ruining the lawn entirely. I also like it b/c it's light and easy for me to move.

I do have to keep an eye on them, however. The netting is 4 1/2 feet high, but they can fly over it, if they want to. I was stunned the first time I saw a full-sized BR sail right over! She headed straight for my strawberry patch. Little stinker.

 

[schellie69]

Glad that I read this post I am planning on a garden next spring and now I Know I will plant the garden in the front and let my girls have the back are there any plants from a garden that are good for the chickens that I might plant to let them eat just as a treat. I am new to chickens so any help would be greatly appreciated. I am composting their poop to use in my garden thanks for all the useful information so far my big chickens don't fly to well and my bantams wings are cut so now going over our 6 foot fence so garden should be safe

 

[Darlasmum]

I would like to let my girls out...but how do you get them back IN?? I cant see myself running around after them- I know who would tire first!!

 

[Imp]

are there any plants from a garden that are good for the chickens that I might plant to let them eat just as a treat

Pretty much anything you eat the chickens can eat. If you want ideas of what you can salvage. I used to plant sugar snap peas. I got the peas, the chickens got the vines. I also save up anything that is wormy or just not good enough for me, and feed to the chickens. Last night they got Ranier Cherries. And by not good enough I do not mean rotten items. I mean like chewed on or discolored. And be careful with some plants can be toxic.

but how do you get them back IN??

If they know that the coop is home they will go inside at dusk. If you have to herd them get a couple long sticks and hold one in each hand to appear larger. Still not easy, but it helps.

Imp​

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I guess I don't hold much for a pretty yard, but I do want it manageable. My chickens are mini lawnmowers. If I don't have grass, so much the better. Actually I pasture them where and when I think I need to. I had them in the garden a few months and they just got put in with the goat, so I can grow a winter garden and some winter grass for them to eat on later, just before I plant a spring/summer garden and then so on. I use them for what they can do for me. It takes them a little while to clean up for me, but they are very through about it. They will also be healthier if I keep moving them about and they will improve the soil. I know its gets so very hot here in the deep summer and the last thing I will want to do in August will be go outside and clean the garden, which will have pretty much have died, but the chickens will love the bugs, grass, weeds, and vegetable plants and will be more than happy to clean up for me.
I used to plant flowers, but I am more interested in vegetables and fruits now. If I would plant flowers again, I think I would stick with things that the chickens didn't like. There are a few in the lily family that you could probably get away with. The trick would be to have them well established, before your chickens got to them. Probably roses also, provided they are trained to grow high up....I would think they might be interested in the leaves and flowers that would be lower. My chickens and ducks actually kept my lilies free of weeds and grass and would use the space as cover for protection by day and I would find eggs hidden in the beds also. They didn't eat the lilies at all. Mine were a wild type that grows wild in my area that I transplanted and a few St. Josephs also and some Iris'.....also a wild type, but very pretty purple and yellow color.
I think the chickens can actually be of a benefit to you, provided you have a good game plan and use them for what they are good for. I am a nurse and I use the nursing process in all aspects of my life and the nursing process is "as easy as a pie" (A P I E )

A........Assessment: What is the problem?

P........Planning: How can I fix it?

I........Implementation: execute a plan.

E.......Evaluation: Did it work? (if it didn't, you start over)

 

[Akane]

I've enjoyed the destructive properties of a chicken. They've done some major weed control.

The grapevines are clear underneath for the first time in years... so I didn't get that many grapes cause those silly chickens ate everything in reach... at least the weeds are dead right? They also are useful when you are done with a garden bed and want it cleared. Just throw some chickens in your fenced area or leave the gate open if you have a small yard and they will completely eliminate all green matter and turn the soil for you. I have 80acres so they really don't care about the garden when it doesn't have fresh veggies. I grab a few and leave them stuck in the garden for the day or if I have some young ones penned up stick those out there. No raking or weeding required. They also are one of the few things that can eat bindweed (wild morning glories) without suffering the toxic effects other livestock often do.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

My flower beds have rocks instead of mulch, so I don't find my chickens bothering my flowers at all! They do bother the mulch around the trees, so the bulbs I have planted around those have been "uncovered" by them until I've just had to move them completely!
Soo I think if you'd just avoid mulching and go with the pebbles/rock for your flower beds, it would help!!

 

[Akane]

Oh yea my chickens also helped mulch the landscaping. We dumped a big pile in the middle of the landscaping and then spent 6months saying we'll get to it next week. Within weeks of having chickens the pile was gone and it was all nicely spread across the area without burying any plants too much.

They make good mulch spreaders if you have a big area to cover.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Chickens are great for tearing up a yard. In fact, we use them to turn our garden (and eat bugs) between seasons. Since we got the chickens, we haven't had a problem with weeds....everything that tries to sprout gets either eaten or scratched up. The only thing planted in "their" area are trees. Everything else (garden, etc) gets separated by a chain link fence. Even our potted plants have a double layer of hard wire and chicken wire around them to keep the chickens out of them and our grapes have hard wire rings built around them too.