You weren't kidding aobut the hostas!

[ninabeast]

We have families of deer on our property. They never eat the hostas...

 

[tuckertori]

As I learn what my 3 girls eat, I put up small cages around the plants made of chicken wire. We started with chicken wire to make a small area to keep the chicks IN and now use it to keep the chickens OUT. I guess we are repurposing the chicken wire! I have a fairly big yard for 3 girls and they spend a lot of time roaming, so I am hoping they won't destroy too much before I get a chance to save it. They way I look at it is that it is my learning curve.

 

[hen-at-home]

Hmmmm, now I'm wondering if deer ate my Hostas? I didn't pay much attention to the timing, but it seemed that I had let the girls out one afternoon and didn't notice till the next day that the Hostas were gone. Guess it could be either as I know I've seen my girls eating them so I know they like them.

Interesting how some of us have had them eating them and some of us haven't. I wonder if it has something to do with the type of Hosta?? Mine are of the variegated variety.

 

[ninabeast]

AHA!! Here's what I've gleaned: my girls like them best when the hostas are all green; with the variegated ones, they tend to avoid the white part. I think it's tougher.

 

[Pele]

hoooooboy do my chickens like hostas! I only let them out for the evenings, and while we're eating on the patio. It's a nightly ritual to gather around the poor hosta, and peck the heck outta it. It's very ragged looking, but growing determinedly nonetheless. Even my itty bitty babies go for that poor hosta.

 

[LoreenH]

I had to move and cage my hostas for their own safety! One plant that I'd had in the same spot at least 7 years totally vanished in 2 days!! I have 6 chickens. I have one hosta that gets HUGE leaves; every once in awhile I'll break one off and give it to the chickens....they become pirahnahs, they act like they haven't eaten all day!!