Request: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
Archived on 08/12/2009
Does anyone know how to keep chickens out of flower beds? They are destroying the mulch. Rolayne from Beasley, TX
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RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
Years ago my dad put chicken wire around the foundation of his house to keep his chickens from scratching the dirt away from the foundation. The chickens couldn't scratch there any more. (02/05/2008)
By deebomb
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
I have chickens and they keep scratching in my new flower bed. I want to eat them for dinner. I talked with an old farmer friend and he suggested sprinkling chili powder around in the bark, chickens hate it. I'm going to give that a try this weekend. I will let you know how it goes. By the way, the spraying them with a hose does work too, but you have to be out there the same time they are. I usually don't know they have been in the flower beds until it is too late. (03/26/2008)
By mama grizzly bear
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
I have chickens and they are ruining my flower beds. And they are stupid. But, the ticks and bugs they eat out weigh the damage to my garden. They don't ruin the plants they just dig around them. It helped a little when I put in their own sand box in the shade. That way they can dust off and dig in when they are hot. And chicken wire laid on the ground can hurt them. I used it as a fence around my veggie garden. I am going to try the hint about vinegar around my flowers. Long live the chickens. (04/07/2008)
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
I have had chickens and gardens for quite awhile and have some good suggestions for you. If you have the space, place your vegetable garden at least 4 to 5 hundred feet from where the chickens roost at night. Most will not roam that far, and put a reasonable fence around your garden. As far as flowerbeds, you have to be creative. In my open beds I discourage them by placing obstacles in the bed that do not give them room to make a suitable dust bowl. This means that there can be no open places in the bed larger than about a six inch square.
Large flat rocks are a good idea. But to fill in empty mulched places in my beds I use landscaping flags with the flag torn off the metal rod spaced about 6 inches apart over the whole area. The chickens don't like the feel of squeezing in around the metal rods and the rods are so thin that they are invisible just a few feet away. On plants they like to eat I use wire cages. You might think that a lot of cages will look ugly, but they really don't. A vibrant plant will stand out and look good despite a little wire around it.
Two more suggestions to add color and flowers to your house that are chicken proof: 1. buy some window boxes. These work great and look great and the chickens can't get to them. 2. garden in pots and place the pots over old stumps where you can screw or bolt them down. Mounding flowers that will fill the whole pot are best and the chickens will leave them alone. Hope that helps. (05/10/2008)
By Luke
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
I have seen motion sensor water sprinklers advertised (google it), that would certainly discourage chickens. (05/23/2008)
By JB
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
To keep our chickens out of the flower garden I use 12-inch wooden kabob sticks, pointed up, around each newly planted flower. The chickens hate being poked and leave my flowers alone. When the plants get bigger I can remove the sticks. (05/30/2008)
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Request: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
Archived on 02/05/2008
My next door neighbor has a problem with another neighbor's chickens crossing the street and visiting her newly laid, expensive flower beds. They are digging up the plants, etc. This isn't a rural area, but there are no laws on the books about poultry in people's yards.
Any suggestions that won't harm the chickens, yet keep them out of the flower beds?
Thanks,
Holly
Editor's Note: I guess this explains why the chicken crossed the road! To eat some flowers. Sorry...
Answers:
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
I used to have chickens and my dad would use chicken wire along the ground, and let the plants grow up through it; and if the base of the plants get too big you can always cut out a little section of it to make it bigger. Then there is the possibility of asking whoever owns the chickens to keep them in a pen.
Oh and by the way your won't even know the wire is there if you cover it with bark, mulch, or pine straw. (04/29/2005)
By jtg90
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
Letting your chickens roam and destroy others' property is just as bad as having a dog that does that! I would suggest asking the neighbor to fence in the chickens or you will call the police. Also, take photos of the chickens in the act. Maybe have a lawyer write a letter to the neighbors about the chickens destroying her property. After a fair amount of warnings I would be making some chicken soup!-from a former owner of a small chicken flock (04/30/2005)
By Peach
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
Huh? I don't understand how chicken wire covered with mulch will keep my chickens out of the flowers. Do you mean that they will eventually scratch the mulch away and get caught in the wire and then I will end up having to rescue mad, panicked hens from the wire? (05/27/2005)
By KS Sherry
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
The idea is that chickens don't like walking on chicken wire. Probably any similar type of fencing would work. I doubt they would get caught in it if you laid it flat on the ground. It does surprise me that it would be effective with mulch on it but maybe it would be with a thin layer, that's assuming that chickens don't like walking on wire in the first place. I don't have chickens so I personally couldn't test it. Pretty cheap and easy solution to try out in a small area. (05/27/2005)
By ThriftyFun
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
I have chickens and my mother simply puts vinegar around her flower bed. It seems to help (08/12/2005)
By Chickenboy14
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
I just read on another web site that using mothballs is both toxic to the chickens and to humans. So please don't try this method. (04/13/2006)
By taterbug
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
My grandfather put an electric fence around his yard. There are two wires running parallel to the ground, one about 6" off the ground, and one 1' off the ground. It only took the chickens a couple of times to learn their lesson. Now they stay away from his gardens and bird feeders. (04/16/2006)
By
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
Are you sure there are no laws about chickens roaming in a residential area. You should call your town Code Enforcement Office. I had that problem. They destroyed my flowers, messed on my new concrete driveway constantly, etc., etc.. I had no complaint with the chickens, but with their owner. I nicely explained to him what his chickens were doing to my property. He still let them run loose. I then had to let him know I didn't want anymore chickens in my yard or he would be paying code enforcement a big fine and surrendering his chickens. They were only 3 chickens, but they did enough damage for 20. (06/14/2007)
By Stngray
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
I have called Zoning and there is no anti-chicken rule in my residential neighborhood. However, they have rules about lions and tigers. So helpful. (06/15/2007)
By cookwie
RE: Keeping Chickens Out of Flower Beds
Just use a garden hose with a jet attachment, chickens hate getting wet and they'll soon associate the flower beds with getting wet! (11/05/2007)
By Brian Kenneth
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