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

[KarenW]

I'm feeling a bit down about the chickens and wondering if I have got us into something I shouldn't have They have completely wrecked my borders and pots in the garden so I got some netting on Monday and my husband put it round the 'flowery' borders straightaway. So now they're still bare, but at least I can re-plant them. The chickens were unimpressed and spent most of their time out on Tuesday trying to get through the netting. I have given up on the idea of pots of flowers and figured I just won't replant them.

 

Yesterday they dug out all of the gravel from the gravelled areas and deposited it all over the grass, fair enough, I can brush it back mostly, they've done it on and off for the last couple of weeks a bit. Now I just went out and they've been in the other large pots with shrubs/trees in and have emptied 2 of them to about a quarter of the way down and pulled at all the roots and there's soil everywhere. I put them back in the run and while I was trying to shut the door Penny and Dianne both gave me a right old peck.

 

I know I should have realised that they would do all this, but I just didn't and I'm just feeling a bit miserable about it I thought they would be fairly low-maintenance. I have so much to do in the house anyway with two toddlers and we have worked really hard in the garden trying to get it looking nice this year and you how sometimes you just feel that everything is getting on top of you?

 

Hopefully it will feel better in the morning, I'm tired and not feeling too well, but right now I can't help wondering if I should have left having chickens as my little dream. Feeling really fed-up

[mags]

Hi

my girls have their area and I have mine for my veggies

You need to section off a bit of garden for them as they love to scratch about

 

 

i got omlet netting and this works a treat and my veggie plot is safe from my wee darlings raids !

 

mags

[Redwing]

I'm sorry to hear that the visions of a few chooks pecking delicatly at the lawn and the reality are very far apart as you have found out - not that there arent some omleteers out there that still have perfect gardens

 

The best way forward is to net them their own bit of garden or a border where they can stay away from the flowers and law, clip theoir wings to stop them hopping over the net

 

The alternative is to make a permenant run, either a walk in one or one with wire and posts (but that won't keep foxy out but does mean you can let them out when you are around)

 

The other alternative is to get a converter and keep them in an extended Eglu run, three chooks will be fine in there

 

Once you have found a solution that works for you (don't listen to the chooks - they will give you a guilt trip) you will find that they are pretty low maintenance after all

 

Good luck

[beulah59]

(((Karen))) I do hope you can find a way to cope with their needs as well as having some garden to yourselves ... it would be such a shame to give up as I'm sure that once it's sorted you will love having them.

[roo4006]

Hi,

 

When we got our girls they did the same thing, its so frustrating, within weeks our garden was a wreck. They ate ALL the grass,dug up all the gravel, ate the plants, dug out the plants from pots,pooped everywhere, enough was enough - I wanted my garden back.

 

So I sold the Eglu and bought a wooden house ( which I much prefer ) and sectioned a bit of the garden off. They now have their own area which they seem to like,tough luck if they dont thats all they are getting They must be ok as we get two lovely eggs most days.

 

The grass has now grown back, I have fruit and vegetables growing and our son can play in the garden without standing in poo.

 

So we are all happy once again.

 

If you have room you need to give them their own area.

 

 

Ruth x

Edited July 30, 2009 by Guest

[Henhathnofury]

Karen. bless you....you must be feeling so very low with all this. I can understand as I was quite shocked when the girls dug through the gravl path and ripped up pots etc. You really will have to find a cut off area for them..so that you will be in control. Yes, they will look miserable but trust me, they are the best actresses in the world........

 

Cyber hugs and hope you feel better soon. If you explain your set-up in the garden, there are some clever and experienced people who will advise you how to get it back to low maintenance. You have enough to do.....

[scrambledhead]

Hello,

 

Have you thought about trying ornamental grasses in your borders?

I have lots and the chickens don't bother them at all, although they do like hiding in them

 

Might be worth a try!

[Patricia W]

Sectioning the garden is the answer. And also look for plants that chickens don't like. You can live in peace with them, but you need to set the parameters.

 

It will get better. Honest.

[Egluntyne]

Sectioning the garden off is definitely the answer. Mine are confined to the top third or so of the bottom end of the garden, which they have completely trashed, and the rest is poo and vandalism free.

[KarenW]

Thanks everyone I'm feeling slightly better about the world in general now, I have just had a mad hour and a half tidying and cleaning up downstairs (having friends over tomorrow and it was a disgrace ) and brushing various things back into place in the garden and filling pots with soil again.

 

Have spoken to my hubby and the way the garden is, we don't think it would be easy to section a bit off for them (unless we get rid of the shed....will ponder that one) so I think for the time being they will have a little less time out and hopefully once the netted-off borders are replanted it will make me feel better. They have the convertor bit on already, so I know they'd be fine in the run pretty much all the time if it came to it...

 

You know when you get that sick feeling in your stomach and wonder if you've just been really stupid That's how I feel. But then I have had a stressy week at work, the house is upside down cos we've been decorating my daughter's room and I feel like I have a million things to do. I think I've just got too much on at the moment and going out and finding 2 chickens halfway down a plant pot and the third positively clucking encouragement at them and digging in the soil they were chucking out was more than I could manage tonight.

 

[Hen Watch]

At first my lot had free range of the whole garden at first.

 

After a few months, we chose to give them a quarter of the garden behind Omlet netting.

 

THEN ...... I cut the Omlet netting in half. So one half protects my flower border and the other half pens them in.

 

So it is a compromise and you may find that after a few weeks of having the chickens and a bit of adjustment you will hopefully work out a solution that suits you, your chooks and your garden.

[Abbey Road Girl]

When I got my chickens more than a year ago my small back garden was full of thriving weeds, including nettles and bindweed. Didn't take the feathered rascals any time at all to clear the lot!

 

Since then, I've been trying to construct some sort of "garden" which will provide some greens for them and some flowers for me (I have half an allotment for veggies).

 

If you can establish some plants which will survive being pecked at up to the level the chooks can reach, that's a start. My hens peck away at the lowest leaves of my fig tree but the fig tree continues to thrive (though looking pretty molested). Same goes for my Virginia Creepers.

 

In other words, you can have plants and chickens in your garden as long as the plants can stretch their necks higher than the hens can stretch theirs (or jump).

 

I also have many plants in pots on the top of my elevated coal store which is attached onto my (inside) scullery. As long as there is some barrier which the hens will hesitate to mount, it should be okay. Think unstable (oooh, wouldn't want to chance that!).

 

Also, you can use bricks to protect the roots of plants from aggressive scratching, plastic laundry baskets or somesuch to cover shrubs and disguise dirt in pots with chipped slate.

 

Good luck!

[xScrunchee]

I would just leave them in their run to be honest.

If you want to let them out when you are outside, it might be easier to keep an eye on them and shoo them away from certain plants etc.

 

Plus the fact that you know they will be safe inside the run, as much as they love to free range they are also at risk of being killed by a fox. Foxes are faster than us and even being in the garden with our hens is not always enough never mind when we are inside the house. It would only be a matter or time

 

Either that or section off a small area for them so that they can make a mess without causing devastation to the whole garden.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

I think I've just got too much on at the moment and going out and finding 2 chickens halfway down a plant pot and the third positively clucking encouragement at them and digging in the soil they were chucking out was more than I could manage tonight.

 

 

Karen, I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling down, but having read your post I can understand why, too many balls & not enough hands to juggle them with, I remember that feeling when my children were smaller. However I put my hands up and admit that I did chuckle out loud at the description of the 3 chook raid team Hopefully once you feel better & less stressed you too will find their naughty antics funny rather than annoying.

 

6 of mine have just launched a "quick she's left the gate off, let's sneak in the back door & see if Mum's dropped any of our food by our bins whilst she's distracted by Omlet" raid...it never works because at least one of them gets overexcited & makes a noise before they all get in

 

They are so good at giving us a guilt trip, don't feel bad if you choose to shut them up in the run, they will be fine, especially if you put some entertainment in there...a dustbath, half a cabbage, a corn on the cob, half a melon, a pecka block, some logs, a pot of mint worked well for my girls when they first arrived, they loved digging around in it (as you've found out!!) and as it was so established (for that read pot bound & woodlouse riddled and the pot had cracked in the frost so need replacing anyway ) did it no harm at all!!

When you are out in the garden & they are shut in, ignore their plaintive looks & clucks, they will eventually get used to the fact that they may or may not be let out & you will gain control again.

 

Have a look at the WIR (walk in run) thread in the eglus/cubes section, you may see an idea which would work in your garden, some are huge, but some are little hen heavens.

 

Good luck in your quest for garden tranquillity...and try & take a few minutes out of your busy life for YOU, toddlerhood doesn't last long & they will soon be able to help with the chooks...or at least be able to notice the poo before they stand/sit in it...mine are 9 & 12 & still have trouble with this at times

 

{{{hugs}}} Sha x

[Staffordmum]

I think I've just got too much on at the moment and going out and finding 2 chickens halfway down a plant pot and the third positively clucking encouragement at them and digging in the soil they were chucking out was more than I could manage tonight.

 

 

Just like Wild Mum, I had to laugh at this. So perfectly described!

 

My OH says I constantly have "too many balls & not enough hands to juggle them with" - and I don't have children (Marley is quite enuff!). I'd love to keep bees and quail and hope to make wine this year - I'll find the time/space am sure ...

 

We went through a similar thing when the girls arrived. Didn't really plan it in advance - it was a "working progress" (still is!). The WIR was the biggest expense thus far and I bought it from the most lovely lady. I now sleep at night knowing the girls are safe - and so is our garden

 

I have just discovered lice and so have my work cut out with cleaning and medicated dust baths etc. All this as well as horse sitting and job hunting. I have had to set up Hotmail reminders to assist with the schedule

 

Work is enuff to stress anyone these days, let alone run a house and look after toddlers. I don't how my sisters do this (or how my Mother did!) ...

 

You're doing a grand job - don't forget it!

 

Take care of you and yours.

 

Kind rgds, Pat & Steve

[poachedegg]

Could you not limit their free ranging - that is what we do as our chickens are only let out when supervised?

 

We only have a small garden which is mainly shrubs and grasses and has actually thrived since we had the chickens, however if they were out all the time I'm under no illusion it would be trashed!

 

This is a picture of our garden taken a few weeks ago......when we had sunshine

 

The cube is next to the swing - we have just bought some Omlet netting and have put it along the back, so they can freerange in the shrubs (doesn't harm them at all), whilst children are playing out.

 

[Chickendoodle]

Poor you - we also started off by letting the chickens free range but are now much older and wiser after a year of poo clearing, jet washing, cleaning shoes, losing plants, grass etc etc.

 

Our girls now have a sectioned off area at the bottom of the garden - Omlet netting with a little low ornamental fence around it which looks quite pretty. The area actually takes in the shed which is not a problem so you might be able to consider this. Will try to take a photo later and post it which might help you. We have put bark in the chicken area as they soon turn the grass into mud.

 

They are let out in the whole garden for an hour or so when we can supervise them but they spend most of their "free time" under the wild bird seed feeder picking up what the pigeons kick off the table!

 

I think what I have learnt over the past year is "don't let the chickens rule you". Give them what free time you want to (our girls have an area approx 30ft by 11ft but they still patrol up and down by the fence looking like they are in prison begging to be let into the whole garden)

 

Just remember how much of a better life you are giving them than battery hens or some so called free range ones.

[teri]

i also let my girls free range when they first arrived. even though i do not have a single plant in my garden...no not one, i kill everything green without any help from the chickens ....i was shocked by how quickly they started to destroy the lawn. i have four children aged 3,7,8 and 12 who have to share the garden with the 5 chickens, seven chicks and a dog.

i now have a walk in run for four of the bigger girls; my broody and the chicks have a small pen and run and the children have netting round the trampoline which keeps them in check

my lawn is slowly recovering although i have had to re-turf some areas. the walk in run is half slabs half wood chip and i have built a dust bath in the corner. i do need to put a roof on as it did turn into a huge swamp due to the unbelievable amount of rain we have had which made it very smelly i dug out the mud....not nice.... to a depth of about 5 inches and put the wood chip in. i have a tempoary tarpaulin covering it until i get round to putting a proper roof on and this is working really well. no mud, no smell. there are specially designed products that can be used instead of wood chip that others will easily list for you.

i hope that you stick with it as keeping chickens is rewarding once you have establshed a system that works for both you and your girls.

just a thought but what breed do you have? some smaller breeds may make less mess? again others with experience with different breeds may be able to advise you.

good luck. {{{{hugs}}}}

[chickenanne]

It's a shame that the garden-destruction side isn't well-advertised anywhere! I agree with all the above re: netting, or leaving them in the run. Sadly chickens and petunias-in-pots are not compatible!

[Margaret]

+ WIR

Lavender

Mabel

Marjorie

 

I have the judges comming tomorrow morning to judge my garden, I had Silver Gilt last year, Lavender has launched herself off a chair straight on to a Lavender bush I brought at Chelsea this year and flattened it !!

 

The garden can survive quite well but you have tp be ruthless with the little darlings.

 

Netting is most important, mine dont seem to bother too much after 5 Mins with the lawn but love the rose bed so have just let them trash that, we also have decking which is easy to de-poo just keep a watering can handy and wash the poo away, worked well on the lawn too.

I really struggled in the beginning and wish I hadnt got them but now I LOVE THEM

I work full time in london out of the house 12 hours a day and try to go to the gym also have a family , just do what you can BE FIRM and try not to let them make you feel guilty, I even missed them when I was on holiday!!!

It will get easier.

[chickenanne]

I find my roses survive OK... they seem to root pretty deeply and manage. Also the geraniums (does anything kill them??). I have an odd garden layout so they have the bit at the side and the bit at the back, away from the posh flowery part! The veggies are in (fenced) raised beds: I find green plastic coated wire the least obtrusive.

Please let us know how you get on with your garden judgeing: it sounds very impressive!

[Margaret]

+ WIR

Lavender

Mabel

Marjorie

 

Thanks will do.

Girlies dont know but they arent comming out to play today or until after judging tomorrow

I'm a wicked mummy

[eggalp]

Hope you are feeling a bit better today I do sympathise with you as i'm a keen gardener and was also shocked when we got the chickens at how destructive they are. I have tried to chicken proof alot of stuff and things have got much better.

 

I have raised most of my pots off the ground using bricks, log stepping stones, cheap green garden shelves from instore etc. Any big pots they can still get in contain my big plants - pear tree, rosemary etc, so like someone else has suggested these are topped with big pieces of slate so that the chickens cannot dig!

 

I have raised up my veg plot and put some pond netting around it - which is black and quite see-though so looks ok, keeps them off it very well! I also grow more stuff in hanging baskets, toms, radishes, lettuce leaves etc, high up where they cannot reach.

 

I have a jasmine growing up the fence which was nearly uprooted by the chickens last year, so i put bricks around the stem and roots to keep them off - seems to be working really well. I fenced of a large area of border and put all my delicate plants in there so they are safe and unreachable by the chickens. If i ever buy new plants for th garden now i only buy big shrubby things that will stand up to the scratching.

 

I found that bulbs suffered more than anything so i dug up all my bulbs and put them in the front garden. They also did quite a lot of damage to my lawn last year. I reseeded it last autumn and kept them off it whilst the grass re-grew. They have been back on the whole lawn again since march and so far so good, but i dont let them out for long when we have had a lot of rain as our garden floods and they quickly turn it to mud.

 

We have a gravel path round the house which they spent alot of time digging up, flicking the stones everywhere - i was sweeping it back everyday! I have laid chicken wire flat on top of the gravel now and its much better. You can hardly se the chicken wire against the stones and no more sweeping thank goodness, as the chickens can no longer dig in there!

 

I try not to worry too much about the poo. I leave it on the lawn and it washes away as it rains. If its dry and i have people coming round i give the lawn a quick mow and just hose off the patio.

 

This year is much better than last year - you just have to be a bit creative, but it does get better - honest!

[teri]

I find my roses survive OK... they seem to root pretty deeply and manage. Also the geraniums (does anything kill them??). I have an odd garden layout so they have the bit at the side and the bit at the back, away from the posh flowery part! The veggies are in (fenced) raised beds: I find green plastic coated wire the least obtrusive.

Please let us know how you get on with your garden judgeing: it sounds very impressive!

 

i kill Geraniums! and roses, and lavender, and mint, and pansies, and poppies, and fusias and....anything else that requires roots to grow.... i am the standing joke of the neighbourhood...with their beautiful borders and fruit trees and hanging baskets and veggie plots.... me? well maybe a bit but none have them have chickens....

[Seagazer]

I'm glad you are feeling a bit happier with the girls. We used to let ours free range but they really did trash the garden and my OH got really upset about it (his pride and joy but I do the gardening!).

 

We've now got a WIR and they stay in there the whole time. They do make me feel guilty some times but they get lots of greens etc to keep them busy plus a dust bath.

 

I've was away for a few days recently and found out that my OH had felt sorry for them and let them out for a while......