Single hen

[Space Chick]

I am getting my chickens very soon - Hooray!

 

However, I am a little concerned about my darling husband's gardening methods. He insists on using slug pellets to protect our veg patches.

 

Are the chickens going to try and eat the slug pellets, if so I can only assume its dangerous for them? Or if they eat a slug which has died on the pellets.

 

Any tips on protecting the veg patches as well, we've seen 1/2 metre high mesh borders, is this likely to deter them.

 

All help gratefully received.

 

Debs

[cluckbok]

Slugs pellets are a no no! Posionous to chooks. You won't need them, the chickens love eating slugs. Since we had our chooks, we not seen a single slug!!

 

P.S. welcome to the forum!

 

As for borders they will go on there and scratch around just like ours have and they even rake up the slate we have put down over the soil, just to get to the soil! We will prob put up some chicken wire to keep them off.

[Space Chick]

Thanks!

 

PS Love the chookcam! Your girls are lovely!

[cluckbok]

Ooh it's working! sometimes it's a bit hit and miss as to whether the cam works. I hope they behaving themselves, I'll log on to cam now and check!

[Hen Watch]

They will try and eat just about anything and will probably eat slug pellets too. So I would avoid them if you can.

 

Regarding veg patches. My chooks initially free ranged the whole garden and hubbie put 4 foot netting round his veg patch. They got over it, under it and around it and hubbie got fed up with them eating his seedlings or jumping on plants generally. In the end he'd had enough and the chooks now live behind 4 foot Omlet netting in their own bit of garden. Funnily enough they don't get over that and his veg are safe although I must say they are now older and heavier than before. So there is hope for veg lovers.......

 

Mind you, some breeds of chickens are very flighty. Don't know which ones, but my Omlet Gingernuts, Pepperpot and Amber Star are OK.

 

Welcome to the forum.