run area inside veggie garden

[Katzinthehat]

Hi, were planning on starting a family of ~5-10 chickens this spring. we have a prebuilt coop picked out. The coop will have a grassy run but we also want to let the chickens roam inside our fenced vegetable garden, thinking the they will help with pest control and fertilize at the same time. Will the chickens be ok in the garden, will they hurt the plants or do they need to be kept out? thanks, kat man

 

[speckledhen]

They will eat your plants, I promise you. They love tomatoes!

 

[chickiebaby]

Ah, no. Picture Dr. Evil aiming his laser beam right at your garden. Chickens will,in fact, destroy every living plant form they can find. Including, I gather, cactii. Fence your garden very, very well. Or fence the chickens.

And congrats on joining the flock!

 

[Opa]

I turned by flock into my garden after we were done with it for the year. 17 hens in a 36x36 area and they had everything gone in a little over a week. I throw scratch feed in the garden now, and I intended to allow them access until I need to work up garden to plant. I won't let them back in until next fall as I pretty sure they would eat everything I plant.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

there is no such thing as a garden with chickens. Doesn't matter if it's veggies or flowers. The feather beasts will destroy it all!!

 

[momofdrew]

and cucumbers and squash and strawberries BUT the eat a lot of pests...

it is called the chicken tax... they did leave me some food
I plan on letting them back into my garden this summer too

 

[waynesgarden]

As I've posted here several times, every once in a while I give the chickens another chance to range through the garden. Every time I regret it.

The damage they do is not worth the few insects they eat.

Wayne

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Saw this yesterday at Mother Earth News thought it was pretty cool
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1988-05-01/The-Chicken-Moat.aspx

 

[Catalina]

Quote:
Chicken moat!

Edited to add: I can see this working in the country, but not in the suburbs.
It's a great idea.
The neighbors would really call me the crazy chicken lady if I did this on my little town lot!
But I bet it would keep robbers out....

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

The chickens will love you for it. But you want have a garden.