Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Southcoastchickenfan]

Hiya!

 

I was just wondering if anyone had any gardening tips. We used to have a lawn and a flower bed, we now have one massive dustbowl as our chooks have chomped the lot. We like our chickens free ranging but wondered if anyone had come across a plant or a grass that chickens didn't eat? We're considering rolling out AstroTurf when we have guests and only planting in planters attached to the top of our fence! Any tips??! We love our chickens more than our garden so just having them in their run isn't an option for us xx

[jackian]

I did a thread on exactly the same thing the other week..garden like a dust bowl..I managed to save the herb garden by surrounding it with chicken wire , one day all hell let loose and they managed to get in ,they were like three naughty kids who had found an apple orchard No longer do I have a herb garden.

Several people gave great replies but i can't find the thread I have clematis and a honey suckle at the side of the fence which they have not touched except the bottom leaves , and a mock orange shrub which is quite big..only touched bottom branches,

So I reckon anything taller than a chicken.

I would rather have chickens than a garden I am concentrating on the front.

[jennym]

We have found that, as jackian said, larger shrubs/bushes hold up well. The bottom leaves may get sampled but they can withstand that and a bit of digging around the roots. Sadly I think anything small will just be in the way of the chicken dance so it'll be damaged by digging even if they don't eat it.

 

I think some people have put down some kind of strong mesh and then let grass grow through it - then the chickens can't uproot it. I don't know how well that has turned out, as I only read about it when a couple of people were about to try it out.

 

Aside from that I'd say growing things in pots/planters or fencing off a few bits of the garden that you want to protect might be the only way to stop a determined chicken!

[lindafw]

I have large bushes and am grateful for the weeding the chickens do keeping the underneath weed free! Don't plant anything that flowers red as they will be decimated!! Rosmary bushes do well and they don't seam bothered by big sage plants..so maybe grow in pots till large and then plant on.

 

I have no grass issues as my girls bathe under a large bush...I even put mite power down there so they can self medicate lol

[mollyripkim]

I've got the mesh and now have lovely green grass. They can still scratch around etc but the roots don't get damaged. I did post some photos a little while ago. At airport now on way to holiday (hubby can't believe I am still in chicken mode) but will replay them on return if you can't find them.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I keep my girls contained within the "flower" beds with Omlet netting. There are a few trees and established shrubs which they don't eat but they certainly keep the beds weeded and my lawn stays intact as a result .

[JanTheDiver]

My girls have a large play pen (most of the lawn) for FR in when we are home. This means I still have my flower boarders and my veggie beds that don't get Chooked

 

If you want to see the pics of the play pen click on the Gallery and search for me, the pics are in there.

[surfer_chicken]

I think I've found molly's old post with pictures of the lovely grass

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=80174&p=1110944&hilit=+grass#p1110944

[LeeMeadfan]

Hi - haven't posted on here for ages!

 

I'd read somewhere that they don't go for roses - don't you believe it!

 

when all the fresh new growth was appearing on mine they were scoffing leaves like crazy

What they couldn't reach lower down they were jumping up to get

I resorted to water pistols at dawn!!

 

Then this week I caught them eating rose petals!! fallen ones & ones still on the plants, plus rosebuds

 

whether they thought it might make their poo smell better I don't know

 

With chooks - assume they'll eat ANYTHING

[Alis girls]

Do they mow lawns? i could find mine a few jobs

[blueandwhite]

I gave in this year and fenced off a bit of garden which is 'chicken free' but I do let them in when I'm there to make sure they don't do too much damage. I put a fruit cage around the veg patch and they only managed to get in once this year and ate all the herbs. I've put stone chippings on the rest of the garden which they decimate on a daily basis. They don't like buddleia or hydrangea though, they have survived!

[sapphichicks]

I have a medium sized garden with a wildlife pond and raised veg beds and flower beds and shrubs and lots of pot plants. I manage to keep my gals off with the addition of small green wire fencing about 18 inches high, it disappears and does not stand out that much but it keeps the girls off. On my raised veg beds I put plastic netting so they cannot get in, but I do let them in to give it a good clean up every now and then so long as there are no tasty plants or they will be decimated. They are not called chicken excavators for nothing. They dig all around and under the shrubs but that is fine by me, they do go on some of the raised flower/shrub beds but they don't eat any of the plants, ferns, clematis etc. Any pot plants I have that they love to eat (and you soon find out which ones they are,) I raise up by 2 foot putting them on top of another upturned put and I made shelves out of scaffolding boards and bricks to raise up the pots of tender salad leaves. They don't eat any of my herbs. I let them out to free range from about 1pm to 8pm when they take themselves off to bed. My big issue is their poops. I have to go and poop scoop every day and pick up the poops but apart from that they are a joy to have in the garden. They are always interesting and fun to watch. I rarely get slugs or other things as they eat them. They are terrific for turning over soil for you. If you have just planted something then protect it until it settles down, any loose soil they are immediately on to and will dig it up. Also stimulation such as chicken races help divert them. I get a small can or some fresh corn and throw them far and the chooks run like mad chasing down the garden to get them. They seem to enjoy it.