Will chickens destroy my vegetable garden?

[chickenannie]

Quote:
My Red Bourbon turkeys eat tons of green stuff and bugs. They don't scratch up the ground like chickens do, and they don't like garden vegetables. They usually eat grass and seed tops. However, I couldn't guarantee they wouldn't eat greens like lettuce. I would try them out first and see how it goes.

 

[reallemons1]

Yes! If the get in it.

 

[horsejody]

My chickens are wonderful taste testers. They sample and take one peck out of each red tomato within their reach.

 

[ChickenToes]

My neighbor is planning on letting her chickens run around in her garden...I wonder how that will turn out!

 

[Ese_N_Gracie]

Wow...I have bantam cochins and they are pretty easy on the garden. I can't let them in for seedlings, but once a plant is established they go around it. As far as any divets....it honestly makes a well for watering. ANything I don't want them to scratch I throw deer netting over....no stakes, nothing....they can't/don't like to scratch on it....and barely walk on it. I'm an avid gardner, and have everything from rasberries to tomatillos to the beloved tomatoe....which Ese does like to taste as many as possible...but I consider it a good tradeoff....since I don't have to use pesticides. I think the right breed and number of chickens for your area....you could all be very happy. I have only had to buy 75#'s of food in a year since buying them....they are the best 4$ I ever spent

 

[SeaChick]

I use that cheap, flimsy plastic netting that's only 24" high. (about $7 for 50 feet at Home Depot) It's grey and practically invisible, and I can easily reach over it into my small raised bed veggie beds. It's on metal stakes that are easy to push in the gound. As Pat said, its easy to remove, just roll it up and take it away. My chickens seem to find enough to do in the yard that they don't challenge the fence around my garden. On the other hand, I put some around a hosta bed that they were attacking, and they quickly learned that all they have to do is push their heads against it and bounce in and grab a leaf -they LOVE hosta!- it is hilarious to watch them all bouncing their heads 6" into the fencing to grab some hosta. They could easily fly over it but they don't!

Sure, the yard isn't quite as pretty with all the low fencing around the beds, but the beauty of the chickens themselves make up for it, IMHO

 

[estpr13]

Even with fencing my hens get into my garden and reek havock. To help keep them from digging divots into flower beds I place small sticks (12-18 inches) all in the flower bed. The sticks get tangled up in the flowers and don't move, so the hens don't dig and cause as much damage. Having a designated place with loose dirt that you loosen for them, encourages them in one place, and placing sticks in unwanted wallows tends to discourage them in others. It's just hard to mow when sticks are placed in the yard. You have to be persistant because training chickens is as hard as training hard headed kids.

 

[coopist]

Quote:
Short answer: yes.

Longer answer: oh, you betcha.

 

[chickiebaby]

Friends: s it definitely true that both potatoes and rhubarb are poisonous? My girls have eaten rhubarb a couple of times and potatoes a WHOLE lot of times- only because I didnt know they shouldnt, and they eat everything we grow or eat, pretty much. That said, if there is a consensus that these arent appropriate foods, I'll be glad to change my ways - the dog, who loves potatoes, will thank you.

Best to all!

 

[thornberryvillage]

Mine get potato scraps all the time...no problem

Bob