Suburban Gardening and Free Range Chickens

[Solar_mike]

I am new to back yard chickens, we have (4) Light Sussex (1) blue orpington and (1) Silkie, and I am wondering at what stage of growth can I put the chickens in my garden to help me cultivate and weed? I have tomatoes, spinich, beans, and squash. I also have some blueberry Plants and 3 grape plants. Thanks:/

 

[Imp]

Quote:
I would keep them out of the garden till after you harvest. They will probably eat your tomatoes, spinach, beans and squash. Then rip up the plants, as they scratch around. They will also eat blueberries and grapes, if they can reach them.

Good luck
Imp

 

[fldiver97]

Depends.....mine will eat all the blueberries, blackberries and gooseberries they can grab.....I don't much let them near the vegetable garden. They will devour the spinach and shred the beans and peas. I let them have berries and keep some veggies in big containers. They get to scratch all over the yard (grass, a lot of natives, a raingarden, lots of native vibernum and dogwood etc) That way they don't destroy the yard. Vegetables are grown out of their reach. I my let them 'work' in the veggie beds after harvest and then use the composted coop bedding and chicken droppings as compost for the vegetable garden. In any case, I would not let them out with young tender vegetable plantings or without supervision. They may do more than eat the bugs ....

 

[Solar_mike]

Thanks for the feed back, i'm going to go with your suggestion and keep them out.

 

[lavacaw]

One of our gardens is about ten feet from the chicken coops. It is fenced in and we keep the chickens out! They will either eat or dig up most everything. However, they keep the bug population waaaay down by eating any and all bugs that think they are going into the garden and they dig all the weeds around the bottom of the fence to help keep it cleared out. It's a win-win thing for both of us.