Stay outta my flower bed!

[Mummahas4Chicks]

Please tell me if there is any way I can keep my chickens out of the flower bed (s).
One suggestion was to give them treats in another part of the yard.
We have 5 acres, they have plenty of places to roam. I found them sitting on top of the Yarrow, squashing it!
They have nice dirt in the run which is left open, of course.
One of the hostas didn't make it because I think they pecked at it when it first came up in the Spring.
Help!
Thank you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Fences. Either you fence the chickens out of the flower beds or fence them in a run.

Some of us are lucky in that due to distances and layouts the chickens don't find out vegetable gardens or flower beds. But they love dust-bathing in them, eating things (especially as they sprout), or scratching in mulch, looking for bugs or other things to eat. Shrubs in flower beds often provide shade or protection from hawks or other birds of prey. Chickens aren't dumb, your flower beds provide many things they like.

 

[Folly's place]

And they especially like hostas! Also they rearrange mulch, and generally aren't helpful in planting beds.
Fencing!

 

[moniquem]

I had to fence them into another side of my yard. They have destroyed everything that was there in a matter of months. But MY side of the yard looks great!
Every once in a while I have an escapee that makes a bee-line for my strawberry patches. Needless to say those aren't doing great this year but thats life with chickens.

 

[MountainGaurdian]

I haven't found any good ways to keep my chickens out of flower beds or gardens.

Although interestingly I modified my garden this year to deal with too much water draining from a leak in the dam on one of my ponds plus it was really wet and rainy this spring. I basically dug ditches and made raised grow boxes inside of them this allowed the water to drain out of my garden quickly enough so as not to drown my plants. The ditches with water in them seemed very effective at keeping my chickens out of the garden this year.

 

[sourland]

Fencing in or out is the only solution. Chickens love everything about flower beds.

 

[Mummahas4Chicks]

Thanks for your suggestions!W fencing won't work unless it's high which would not look good.
I've had chickens since 2010 and this is the first flock to do damage and the first to cross the road. Crazy girls. I did buy mealworms and gave them in another area to lure them away. I also got a bag of animals and bird deterrent and sprinkled some in the flower bed. Smells bad, but I think it might be working.

 

[Jadakraft1]

Please tell me if there is any way I can keep my chickens out of the flower bed (s).
One suggestion was to give them treats in another part of the yard.
We have 5 acres, they have plenty of places to roam. I found them sitting on top of the Yarrow, squashing it!
They have nice dirt in the run which is left open, of course.
One of the hostas didn't make it because I think they pecked at it when it first came up in the Spring.
Help!
Thank you!

I have found recently that pinwheels have helped my girls stay out of my flower beds!!

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

I have found recently that pinwheels have helped my girls stay out of my flower beds!!

That's a neat idea. Might have to try that.

 

[Jadakraft1]

That's a neat idea. Might have to try that.