Sugarbeach Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 Hi all. I've had my two chickens for a few weeks, and have been letting them roam in the garden as much of the time as possible. We love them, especially my little 2 year old. All the scratching was OK at the beginning, however as they have got bigger and stronger they are now scratching and digging out my flower beds quite badly. Any suggestions or experiences anyone could share on this issue? Ideally, I would like to let them roam without destroying the garden. Or will I just have to keep them in the run most of the time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 I am actually planning to put a fence up half way down my garden with a gate in it so that the girls can ruin their half of the garden when they are out but we still have a nice half with flowers etc for ourselves! Best compromise I could come up with because I love letting them out when I am outside but also love growing flowers and having a nice garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 We keep our veg patch behing netting (which occasionally they jump into). The flower beds do get scratched, but mine now have 3 favourite dust bathing sites which they tend to stick to. I find that I rather like watching the chickens wandering around now and I am getting less worried about the garden the longer I've had the chooks. The lawn recovers when you move the run around regularily. See how it goes, it might still all be a bit new for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah 2 Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 Unfortunately that's what they tend to do. Lots of people seem to use the netting from Omelet to protect their plants. We haven't got any flower beds to destroy but they have completely wrecked under are one and only tree. I thought about not letting them out as much but they just sit and wait at the end of the run. So they end up free ranging all day. Followed by my 2 year old. Being shouted at to watch out for the chicken poo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 Hello Sugarbeach, welcome to the forum The Omlet poultry netting is very good for keeping Chickens off flower borders whilst they are free ranging. this can be bought from the Omlet shop. Look in the section Chicken FAQ, the sixth topic down titled "chicken run inspiration" it shows photos of Omlet owners home made runs. Some good ideas there if you want to give your Chickens a bit more space without having your garden destroyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 . Followed by my 2 year old. Being shouted at to watch out for the chicken poo We have just bought some 6ft canes to attach our netting to to keep our girls in their half of the garden. We tried to fence off the flowers, but the girls found their way in there I have to keep reminding myself they are only doing what chickens do, but sometimes I wish I had got bantams!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 25, 2007 Share Posted June 25, 2007 Hello Sugarbeach. Welcome to the forum. I put mine in a permanent area as I hadn't the time or the strength to keep hoiking the Eglu's around the garden. Omlet netting is very useful for keeping the hens in (or out of) an area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 I think some chickens are more destructive than others. Our Matilda had a fearsome scratch: she sent piles of earth flying miles away, and the flower beds and lawn just began to merge! We had to limit their freeranging time, especially when it was damp. They also ate most of the lawn over the first winter, as we hadn't thought about not doing a last autumn cut, but just leaving it to our little automatic mowers. Now we have: little fences around the edges of the borders, which really do help; a newly turfed dense lawn, which looks great; and unfortunately Matilda died, and the current three are far less assertive about their food searching (at the moment). I think you have to adapt your garden to suit your hens and limit the damage, but it is possible to still have a great garden, and the chooks themselves really do enhance it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Mine are lucky enough to have a third of the garden in amongst some established shrubs and trees, fenced off with omlet netting. I work at home so they are out of their runs most of the day. They are sometimes let out in the evenings as they love to scrabble around under the beech hedge. I have raised beds surrounded by chicken wire, a wigwam of beans surrounded by chicken wire and some other veg in pots in top of an old desk, so that they can't destroy them. I also have a couple of borders of shrubs and perennials (all planted before we came here) which the chickens scratch around in. But they need thinning out/dividing anyway so they have survived so far. And it is hilarious when all you can see of your chickens is a tail feather in the middle of shaking plants. You just have to decide what you want to sacrifice to the chooks and then keep them out of any areas you want kept clean and tidy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy C Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 I also have a couple of borders of shrubs and perennials (all planted before we came here) which the chickens scratch around in. But they need thinning out/dividing anyway so they have survived so far. And it is hilarious when all you can see of your chickens is a tail feather in the middle of shaking plants. You just have to decide what you want to sacrifice to the chooks and then keep them out of any areas you want kept clean and tidy! We have the same situation and have bordered these areas with log roll so that the mulch and soil go over the lawn less. I have given up the idea of bedding plants. We have decided that the wild look has its benefits. We have seen more wood mice, and slow worms than ever before; a far greater range of wild birds and even our first grass snake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 I agree with the others; you CAN have a garden and chickens, but you will have to strike a balance between free-ranging and permanent run. Because I'm not home for long enough, mine can only free-range for limited periods of time anyway. I use the Omlet netting so they have some variety, and move it around (with difficulty ). I'm lucky enough to have a big garden with lots of established perennials, so I can sometimes let them go in the borders, but herbs, bedding plants and vegetables wouldn't stand a chance! I find it's not the eating, it's the powerful scratching, and as someone else says, it's the mess of soil all over the lawn/patio that is most annoying. Chickens are emotional blackmailers; they will frantically pace up and down the run when they see you. Mine spend most of their time in the Omlet run and extension, and they're fine - don't let them fool you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katy ruskin Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Having my two girls since Feb I have learned the hard way and through trial and error how to avoid having the garden completly destroyed by voracious chickens! I too prefer the girls to free roam as much as possible and have discovered the following: 1. They don't like herbs, so safe to plant. 2. Planting in pots is a good idea as they don't dig up the earth and destroy the plants as they are young 3. Edging around grass such as bricks or log rolls prevents them scratching up the edges of lawns. 4. Definately protect any veg, I grow all mine on the decking and girls anre banned from this area. 5. Hanging baskets attached to fences provides colour without being eaten. 6. Soft leaved plants I would avoid but things like rhodedendrons, spiky ferns, conifers seem ok 7. Tall rosebushes, otherwise they too get eaten 8. Haven't yet used but heard that mushroom compost is good to spread around beds as chickens don't like this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarbeach Posted June 26, 2007 Author Share Posted June 26, 2007 Chickens are emotional blackmailers; they will frantically pace up and down the run when they see you. Mine spend most of their time in the Omlet run and extension, and they're fine - don't let them fool you! Yep, so true - they make me feel guilty with their pacing up and down. Thank you everyone for your insights and suggestions. Looks like I'll fence off a dedicated patch of the garden for the chickens. Meanwhile, I can try to ease my guilt by feeding them strawberry tops which they love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arowland17 Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Hi, I noticed a couple of you said you put up fencing / log rolls around areas you didn't want ruined - is that right? my OH and I are getting chickens in about a month (can't wait!) and are a little worried about getting the garden ruined as we are planning to let them free range as much as poss - at the moment we don't have huge amounts of plants,and have a few plants in the borders with a low fence (about 3/4 foot high) - do you think this would be enough to keep them out?!?! or am I being far too hopeful!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan H Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Hi - I think this raises the question of wing clipping, in that I have the Omlet netting and the girls fly over this quite easily. I have chosen not to wing clip, however of you do you should find low fencing more than enough protection... I have however decided to put up a permanent pen - and let the girls out just a few hours a day. It it worth noting that the chickens get on well with most hardy shrubs and herbs... flowers beds however would probably be demolished. On the positive side, I have alot of mint and rosemary and there nothing nicer than the chickens rummerging through the herbs and kicking up a most delicious aroma! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 I think it depends to an extent on the individual chickens, mine can't fly over the Omlet netting; I don't think they would clear 3', but some will especially if they can launch themselves off something. Katy, I can't agree about the pots - mine love to jump on them and dig away ! - these are large shallow pots, so I suppose they wouldn't have room to get into a smaller one. I had to rescue the chives as they weren't eating them, but nearly dug them out. 3' fences would be worth a try, and I would recommend clipping the wings too, it doesn't hurt them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsbates65 Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 When my two started free ranging they stayed on the patio and around my pots of basil, rosemary, etc. . .I also had a little plot that was to be more herbs and other misc items. . . When the girls seemed intent on destroying it, I just gave up and decided they could have it. However. . .soon they discovered other areas of the lawn and now my herbs are relatively untouched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 As a keen gardener, I found the damage that the Eglu and run did to the grass extremely distressing at first. So the first thing to do is to put the Eglu on a permanent base, and surround it with beatiful potted plants weighing down the skirt. It then looks even better than lawn. This permanent site should be either on or adjacent to the grass. Then you can get some Omlet netting and arrange a pen in such a way that it opens out from the run door so that the hens can't get near the beautiful plants around the Eglu. (They get a few leaves, of course, from the inside when they are locked up, but this doesn't show and gives them something to do.) You can put big hostas on the shady side, and vibrant flowers on the sunny side to match the colour of the Eglu. When you lay out the net pen, you need to include a soil area for dustbaths and scratching, otherwise the hens will dig up the lawn instead. You need to put something between top of the poles each side of the run door to stop the hens jumping on top of the Eglu. I have actually been doing better with my back garden in the Oxford in Bloom competition since I have had hens than I have ever done before. (Maybe the judges are sick of seeing bedding plants and are captivated by the hens.) So there is hope, and you can continue to have a nice garden. There are other alternatives, of course, such as a properly built large run in a corner of the garden. But if you don't take precautions, hens will destroy a small garden. Traditionally they would have been kept in a rough orchard area: I don't think that anyone has ever combined growing flowers and vegetables with hens successfully, although large shrubs and bamboos do escape damage, and they don't do much harm to long ornamental grasses or rosemary. But any soft-leaved plants will disappear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starboyhull Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Quick question regarding dust baths......Our girls have found an area under our conifers with dry soil (that they have made into a dust bath), is this enough for them or would a sand bath be better for them??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 I wouldn't bother - they have found themselves their perfect dustbath and are likely to ignore your luxury version anyway. Gallina, I love gardening too (but this garden is still work in progress!) and your experience is inspiring. Chickens and a beautiful garden - who'd have thought it?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarbeach Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 Thanks Gallina and everyone for taking the time to post wonderful suggestions. My garden isn't that big, but you've given lots of ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Hi,I noticed a couple of you said you put up fencing / log rolls around areas you didn't want ruined - is that right? my OH and I are getting chickens in about a month (can't wait!) and are a little worried about getting the garden ruined as we are planning to let them free range as much as poss - at the moment we don't have huge amounts of plants,and have a few plants in the borders with a low fence (about 3/4 foot high) - do you think this would be enough to keep them out?!?! or am I being far too hopeful!! I think even small fence makes a difference to the damage they do - but it wouldn't keep them out. Much of the kicked soil is flung at quite a low level, and as someone else said, the chooks also scratch less next to a fence. You can see in this picture (of lovely Lily!) that our fence is really very low (slightly higher in other places) but it definately made a difference. It needs to be fairly stable though, as they do step on it rather than over it: you can see extra sticks I've stuck in to support it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
