4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[cluckbok]

Went out today and bought some new plants, a grass with stripy leaves, some lavender and a heather. We also got some hostas. OH dug out beds for the garden near our path and bedded the plants in and then put some plum slate around the plants and all in the beds.

 

Well it was really funny when the chooks came out and saw it! it was like "what's going on here then?" they didn't like walking on the slate. Hopefully they will stay off it (wishful thinking). We also put in a curry plant, cruel I know They are behaving quite well tonight not much plant pecking going on.

[StephanieSB]

Oh wow, I've never heard of a curry plant! I looked them up on the BBC Gardening site; they look fab. Does their smell keep chickens at bay then? I hear lavender does the same?

 

I'm asking because the husband just planted his summer veg and I am germinating some lavender now to border his beds -- I think a curry plant (or five) might be nice as well--?

[cluckbok]

Hi ya,

 

Ours don't eat the lavender, parsley, rosemary and they haven't pecked the curry plant yet. They love the Hebe plant and our potatoes that we've got growing in sacks. We've had to put netting over them. We planted lavender around their eglu to help with any smells. Make the girls smell nice! The curry plant is fab brilliant smell. We thought it would put them off.

[Olly]

I have just got a bag of slate chippings! I got the tip from someone on here, can't remember who but he had some great suggestions for chicken-proofing the garden. I've just used it on the pots with chives and parsley in, and so far so good. They don't eat them, just scratch all the earth out, but the slate really puts them off.

 

Mine don't really eat plants - not shrubs, anyway. Curry plant is a good idea though!

[cluckbok]

Hi Ya Olly!

 

Oh thanks glad to hear that. They are quite large pieces of slate too, so hopefully will put the little monkeys off!

 

Our 1st Hen Party was great yesterday! G unfortunately did not get round to making your cake receipe but will do next time. Was good fun.

[Helen&Lee]

I've had a little giggle reading this about the slate

 

We have a slate path, and a fair sized slate bed under the lilac tree at the side of our house. They love it they do to two step, scratch back, look for bugs routine and the slate ends up all over the place

 

They do leave most of my plants alone though

 

Helen

[lisaroo2]

Sooooooooooooo glad I read this post! I've wanted to plant something just outside the girls area but wasn't sure what to. Having read the bit about the lavender I'll try that!

[Abbey Road Girl]

Would love to know how anyone gets their plants sturdy enough to survice.

 

My chooks have just demolished some heeled-in rose bushes which could have survived but are not likely to now!

 

It's absolutely amaxing the damage/improvement they can do!

[Ali B]

I must be really lucky as my girls are all gardeners! They leave my vegetables completely alone, inspite of making themselves a lovely dustbath right in the middle of the runner bean wigwam. They all have a lovely fluff around, and the beans are totally unharmed. They obviously don't approve of dahlias though - mine were all dug up and turfed out of the border.

 

Seriously though, I am lucky in having a very big garden for them to tootle around in, so any scratching or digging is not concentrated in any one area. I do know from past experience that anything with a strong smell (rosemary, lavender etc) does tend to be avoided, as does stuff with tough, leathery leaves. Short of covering up anything precious, I don't really have an answer to a determined chicken though! Mulch of any type (bark, slate, gravel) has never worked for me.

 

Olive, Betty, Elizabeth and Jane the Boss.

[beach chick]

slate chippings dont work for us either, they just chuck them all over the place...

[cluckbok]

Oh well, no doubt we'll find out. Thought slate would be better than gravel and less mess. They are pretty big chunks of slate though. So far we've seen them walk over it really quickly because they don't like feel of it on their feet.