Using scratch to save my garden

[JennsPeeps]

Mine is a small, urban yard. I don't have much grass b/c, well, I can't stand the stuff. I've got 95% garden and 5% grass. The problem this time of year, though, is that the girls are digging digging digging DIGGING!

They dig, I rake it back into the beds. rinse, lather, repeat

Today I bought some scratch in the hopes that it'll keep them busy for a little while and maybe distract them from kicking every last bit of mulch and dirt out of my beds.

if it'l work, but at least they were happy!

 

[allaboutdemchicks]

That's funny!! And anything that has even a little amount of green foliage is getting a trim by chicks. Alot of herding around here!!

 

[Omran]

I put scratch every day for my hen and they still dig every where, but the good news I have enough land for tem to play.

anyway I wish you good luck.

Omran

 

[pattycake]

I have to put a fence around every bit of garden I don't want to be scratched, dug up, or munched. I refuse put a fence around the flower bed in front of my house -- it's there to look pretty! -- so every day I have to go shovel the mulch back in... Oh, well, they keep the bugs down, that's what I tell myself.

 

[chookchick]

Ha! and you thought you could still have a garden! I predict that within a year the chickens will have won. You could still put plastic flowers out if you want color!

 

[GrowingonFaithFarm]

Planted about 15 heads of cabbage, gone in two minutes flat, planted another 15 covered with a row cover, gone in two days, planted turnips, gone within a week, covered new turnips with row cover and the grasshopers just loved the warm cozy enviroment I made for them. Lesson learned? Putting up a fence come spring and trying again. Keeping my fingers crossed they don't decide to hop the fence.

PS, the kids may have sabotaged the row covers on the cabbage. When I told them about it they did not looked surprised.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Oh yeah, I learned that fences make good (chicken) "neighbors".

 

[CitySoil]

Coop and run in design stages. My wife is thinking 6-8 chickens. I'm building big enough for 12-18.

The coop and run will go next to the already-fenced garden, with a connecting gate. The idea: we can let the in when WE want to go after bugs/weeds. They may get to range in the yard at other times.

My question: will my three-foot garden fence keep them out?

 

[HorseFeathers]

Quote:
Hi, I see you're new

You might want to make a new thread for your question, but the answer is probably yes. Ours respected a 2' fence so I think you'll be OK as long as you get heavier breeds that aren't too flighty. Welcome once again to a wonderful forum!