Special Garden Just For Chickens?

[BrittBergh]

I was reading how the chickens will most likely want to eat all my gardens up and decided to just make them their own garden to encourage them to leave mine alone (I am in denial and think this will actually work...) so I bought this: http://www.groworganic.com/omega-3-chicken-forage-blend-irrigated.html

seems to be coming in nicely and should be ready by the time the chicks are ready to move outside! What do you think? My gardens are all raised beds about 3 feet high in boxes. We planned on letting our chickens have free range of the back yard during times when we are outside with them. I really don't want them eating all my garden veggies and fruits but I understand, mostly, this is probably going to happen.

 

[milola]

I was planning on doing a garden for the bird too. But I am just going to till up a small area and randomly scatter last years left over seeds. I don't have my chicks yet but I am trying to get everything squared away before I do.

 

[miquwid]

It seems we have the same ideas here I too wask thinking the same thing but since we get rabbits all year round in our area I"m just going to put netting up around some of my garden and make a garden for the chickens as well.

good luck show pictures when you can

 

[BuffOrpington88]

I would suggest also putting fencing around the garden. Having a separate garden is a good idea also!

 

[Michelelyl]

Last year was our first year with chickens. We let them free range and tried to keep them out of the garden. Yah, that didn't work. They went outside at 8 weeks old in May and about 2 weeks later when we planted our garden with the seed starts from the house, the chickens ate EVERYTHING except the tomatoes surrounded by walls of water!
We separated the garden with the squash, peppers, corn and cucumbers with a 5 ' high fence and replanted. They flew over it and continued to eat the plants. We completely encircled the garden with 8' high plastic poultry netting and replanted- and that was a big help- except for Foggy, our Leghorn. She learned to unwrap the poultry netting once in a while to chomp on the zucchini. When the tomatoes ripened, she also was the leader of the pack who tried to peck all the tomatoes turning pink.
This year, we have done some better planning. The chickens free-range in the entire fenced backyard, and we have planned to have a 10' fence surrounding the garden. Oh, and we are planting swiss chard and kale just for the chickens. They have changed the way we garden! But we still love them! I have 5 hens, 1 German Shepherd and 2 Yorkies. The dogs don't eat the plants...just the chicken poop when they can get away with it