What size of rocks do I need?

[Bcmacias]

We are new chicken owners, sharing our small backyard with 4 chickens, and we have quickly found out they love mulch! Mulch is everywhere! We are taking out the mulch and replacing with rock. I know we need larger rock. My question is how large? Will the rock in this picture work, or does it need to be more like 2”-4”? I know they can be strong, however there is grass that they can forage in...hoping when we replace the mulch with rock that they will find the grass more interesting than the rock. We’re ready to tackle the project and order the rock, I just want to make sure I pick a big enough rock. On a side note we may have to use pea gravel in a very small area, (along with larger rock in the main areas) any experience with pea gravel and chickens?

 

[K0k0shka]

I tried this with 3" river rocks. My chickens just laughed and flung them aside and still dug a trench in their favorite spot. So I'd definitely go bigger than that.

 

[Bcmacias]

Hi, I am about to deal with the same issue (keeping chickens from digging in a specific area. I'm curious what kind/size of rock you got and if it was an effective deterrent.

The big rocks worked out great! The mulch was such a mess, and we got big enough rocks that the chickens don’t scratch in them. They will walk on them, but they don’t move them. Here are some pics. They measure about 3-6 inches.

 

[3KillerBs]

Can you show us photos of your setup?

Is the mulch problem because the chickens are in your flower beds?

You should not use rocks inside their run/pen.

 

[Spikeandbean]

Is the idea that you want to keep the chickens out of certain yard areas (they DO love mulch!), so you're trying to figure out a material that's less attractive (to them)? If so, I'm wondering if you could give them their own area, instead. Maybe fence off a chicken-only area for them?

 

[Bcmacias]

This is what happens when your rocks aren’t big enough. I have a fake plant in the pot for fall, and covered the dirt up with rocks I had from another project and they tore through those pretty easily. We have 4 chickens. I thought I was fooling them, but they’re determined! Don’t underestimate them!

 

[Chickensandhorsesforlife]

I only like bedding or straw. rocks can hurt their feet

 

[Bcmacias]

Here is the area I need to eliminate the mulch. They’re coop is a moreless a VRBO, they’re taken care of in that respect and they have access to our tiny yard, we just need to preserve our landscaping as much as possible. Here is a pic of one of the areas I am needing to do rock. I just want to make sure the rock is big enough for them not to scratch out.

 

[perkolator]

I think you're going to have to go cobble, at least 3-5" size to keep chickens from moving it. Even then, I've seen my chickens move some rocks about that size with their feet. Alternatively, I'd look into a short fence across that planter bed as a deterrent.

I put down gravel the size of what's in your picture, on top of my hardware cloth skirting the perimeter of my coop....1st chance the chickens got, they spread it all out and dug right through it as if it were just mulch. Now I get to pick out rocks anytime I want to mow nearby

 

[3KillerBs]

we just need to preserve our landscaping as much as possible.

The only way to preserve your landscaping is to either fence the chickens into where they're allowed to be or fence them out of where they're not allowed to be.

If those hedges are edible the chickens will walk across the rocks to eat them. If you plant flowers there they chickens will walk across the rocks to eat them. And they'll dig anywhere they can dig if they think there might be food.