suebee Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Hi all. Could anyone advise me which breeds are least likely to wreck the garden, and in particluar the lawn? Is it possible to have all day free range chickens, and a reasonable garden without gaping holes in the lawn and border soil scratched all over it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 +WIR Lavender Mable Marjorie Violet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 My Brahmas don't dig, I guess because of their heavily feathered feet. Sheer laziness plays it's part too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Sorry, couldnt help myself. I had Silver gilt 2 years ago, Silver this year and dont think I will bother this year Funny thing is I dont really care about not having a beautiful garden any more coz I love the Beasties more Hope somebody will come along an reassure you though. Love, XX + WIR Lavender Mable Marjorie Violet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkl Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Hi, Chickens in general are wonderful for the garden and especially for lawns. They do a wonderful job of delicately trimming excessive plant growth and your lawn, trust me on this, will be a sight to behold. Cheers, His Imperial Emporer JKL Ruler of the known Galaxy and keeper of chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchickenlady Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Well, I have pekins and they don't destroy my lawn at all. However, they do dig in the borders and eat/roll on everything that isn't protected. Feathered feet can help limit scratching damage severely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Kate Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 what always makes me laugh on the omlet homepage is pictures of eglus sitting on pristine lawns. that must last, ooooh, about 5 minutes. our ex batts destroyed our lawn. and our borders. but it's worth it, without question. if you love your lawn i would suggest that you keep your chickens away from it or prepare to be heartbroken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 As Madchickenlady says birds with feathered feet are less destructive, bantams more so so pekins, Belgiun D'uccle, Booted bantams may be a consideration As with everything there are total exceptions to the rule though!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 The trick is to limit the time the chooks spend in any given area. Our garden is small, so I can't divide it up, but their run is big enough so that they don't need to come out all day every day. At the moment with the shorter days, they may only get out for an hour or two at the weekends. This works fine, as the grass isn't growing at the moment, but neither are the chooks on it much to decimate it. Come summer, when the grass is growing etc, they are out more - but still careful to limit their FR somewhat, to ensure the grass has time to recover. OH hates this - the chooks have him wrapped round their fingers (or should that be claws..?). But I don't want a mud bath for a garden, the the chooks are fine in their run. Plants - I have learnt to select Chickend Unfriendly plants - i.e. the ones they don't like to eat! I have lost a few - but replaced them successfully (on the whole!!). And the Veg patch is well and truly fenced off! In return - they get given lots of greens in their run - cabbages etc. Even a roll of turf occasionally! It is possible to have both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 I have an area of my garden fenced off with Omlet netting which is the chickens area. they have totally trashed it though. At the moment they have access to the vegetable patch which they aren't particularly intersted in as they have eaten anything that was there. Come the spring they will be banned from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 My Pekin bantams don't seem to do too much damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodcat Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 hey I'm going against the majority here in that mine free range all day and my lawn is fine it's not pristine but that is us walking on it in the rain not the chooks and by the spring it will be fine again. Mine dig up the flower beds sometimes and will certainly dig up pots but on the whole aren't too destructive. All of the flower beds have tunnels behind that that rampage in and they have their flower bed that they chose and they always dust bath in that so i don't plant anything there. Other than that they are fine i would say that the pekins are the least likely to dig things up but on the whole "Ooops, word censored!"ody digs the lawn. However if they have to be confined to a run on the lawn they do destroy it so i just don't pen them in on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gelbel Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Hi all. Could anyone advise me which breeds are least likely to wreck the garden, and in particluar the lawn? Is it possible to have all day free range chickens, and a reasonable garden without gaping holes in the lawn and border soil scratched all over it? My 3 (details in my sig) don't dig the grass - just nibble at it and poo all over it.. The grass is more ruined by me walking over it when it's very wet. So it's possible for your grass not to be ruined. But no soil spreading from borders - I'd say impossible unless you had a border around your borders of at least 6". And then I bet they'd try to dig under it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 We used to have grass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beulah59 Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 The more space you have, the longer it takes ... but they will wreck most gardens unless fenced off ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 Mmmm. Thanks for your input folks. My hybrids have made a real mess of 'their' garden, to which they have full daily access. I wouldn't dream of penning them up to save a lawn, and will have to live with their natural tendencies. If I was to add to my chicken family however, I would like to give the new flock their own garden, rather than mixing them in with my existing girls. A breed of hen that is slightly less 'active' with its toes would probably be a consideration next time. My neighbour has had Silkies for the same length of time that I've had my hybrid girls, and his garden looks pretty much untouched. As some of you have pointed out then, the feathered footed varieties might be the way to go. Thanks for your help everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mabelandflosmum Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 My borders are all edged with willow edging, log roll or concrete edging, at least 6 inches high. This stops soil getting on the paths and lawn. Any new ,small plants I cover with netting until they have grown, as said before I keep them out of the veg patch and the greenhouse. Pots are a problem as they will empty them very quickly, hanging baskets are best! Mine won't touch geraniums, lavender or roses. You can have a lovely garden but you have to make it chicken friendly and not be too upset when plants get dug up. My lawn is good, they keep the grass short and don't scratch it up, I have a lot of borders they would rather be scratching in. Gardening with chooks is fun, they assume you are digging them worms and "help" by getting right in the hole! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Shirl Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Is it possible to have all day free range chickens. Mine free range all day. They are bantams and have never ever dug one single hole in the lawn, they eat the grass and keep it short for me, but no bare patches, and it is being continually fertilised by them. They do however have loads of space and lots of places to dig. So the answer as I see it is, yes, they can free range all day. Just protect the plants, and areas that you don't want them to go into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Our 4 free range all day and our lawn has never looked better. We do however have a fairly large garden with banks that they did in mostly. They strip the moss out of the lawn and graze on the grass like goats but they have not damage the lawn. They have dug up a few young plants but we have a bit of a do or die policy with shrubs and stuff in the garden anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I have a dozen pure breed bantams and miniatures, they are fenced off the borders in the summer, but haven't destroyed anything and I have grass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 A friend of mine keeps Silkies in a large grassed run (on very thin soil over limestome). Chickens with feathered legs are reputed to be less damaging, but that isn't true of French Marans!! Bantams certainly have less impact that large fowl. One thing I have noticed is that the better the layer, the more active and destructive they are! I presume it's because they're always looking for something else to eat to replenish their reserves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 Shirl and Claret..... Thanks for your advice. What kind of bantams do you both have? Are they feathery legged? It's not that I want a pristine garden... just one that is recognisable as such! To be fair to my girls, they do leave the plants alone. It's mainly the lawn. Things are looking quite promising, thanks everyone, for your help. I feel quite encouraged! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 I have all sorts, the marans and the wyandottes are the worst for scratching around, closely followed by one of the pekins, who has a fetish for scratching on anything that makes a noise! You have to be prepared for less eggs with pure breeds though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewels Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Hi, I have a gingernut ranger and a Mrs Pepperpot and have to agree that when I first got them (August 2008) i took pictures of them on the pristine lawn looking lovely as i free ranged them. By winter 2008 we had NO grass left at all and no plants either and it looked awful. I decided (and got OH to build) an enclosed area around the cube and the run that came with it for them to come out into. In the summer now when the grass is growing i do let them free range for a few hours during the day when I am home or else in the evening, always nice when you pottering around in early eve sun (lol) to have them clucking around you, and the grass now is ok. Actually think our new puppy has been just as bad for the grass with his digging etc. I have heard pure breeds are not as greedy as hybrid hens. I think maybe I might take the advice of previous omleteers and try pure breed next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluckynikki Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 I have two hybrids which free range all day but they are confined to a specific area of the garden at any one time thanks to the marvellous Omlet netting. I find what works best is to rotate them around the garden, fencing off a particular area for say a two week period, then moving them on to another area. (I have got a garden, probably six panels by six panels) I have three sections of garden I can use so in theory an area comes under assault for two weeks and then is rested for four weeks. We are still just hanging on to the grass in the main area and I am desperately waiting for it to start growing again. In the very wet weather I have had to confine them to a flower bed with established shrubs. They do seem to love digging holes in the grass. When I see them with their heads up, looking straight ahead, but with feet and claws scratching away at the grass, I cringe and wonder if my anti-hen hubby's prediction "they'll ruin the garden" is going to come true. I just hope we have got through our first winter and the grass picks up soon. The downside of my method is that the hens have to be picked up and carried across the garden from their eglu run each day and then back again in the evening. I have to provide a home-made nest box for whichever area they are in. I covered a cardboard box on its side with a black bin liner and cut out a hole as an entrance door for them. That then gets put a plastic box on its side to protect it from the rain and the inside of the cardboard box going soggy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
