Chicken proofing your garden?

[jhook1997]

How do ya'll protect your gardens from free-ranging chickens? I need a cost effective way to do it now b/c they are already making a mess of it and there's nothing planted yet! Help

 

[Ridgerunner]

I just responded to your post over on the chicken forum. Fencing is the only way.

 

[wsmoak]

You have to fence them out. Thankfully it doesn't take too much to deter them -- chicken wire will do it. Do not put a sturdy top rail on it, or they will hop up there and down into the garden.

I use Red Brand Deer & Orchard fence. It has small holes at the bottom to keep out rabbits, and gradually larger holes as it goes up. It wasn't cheap, but it will last for years and years.

-Wendy

 

[SweetMissDaisy]

I use deer netting around my raised beds. Put a steak in each corner, wrap the netting around the bed, use twist ties to keep the netting in place at the start/stop stake. Works like a charm. Keeps the cats out, too!

 

[HunkieDorie23]

You have to fence them out. Thankfully it doesn't take too much to deter them -- chicken wire will do it. Do not put a sturdy top rail on it, or they will hop up there and down into the garden.

I use Red Brand Deer & Orchard fence. It has small holes at the bottom to keep out rabbits, and gradually larger holes as it goes up. It wasn't cheap, but it will last for years and years.

-Wendy

This is what I have around most of my garden. But part of it is just recycle chain link from my brothers yard. He took it down and it ended up in our barn for storage and I said 'hey why don't we use that". It is around the orginal front 1/2 of our garden, then as we expanded we put in the good stuff but we never replaced the front yet. It is tied with orange bale rope. "Not kidding" What I am trying to say is use what you can get your hands on and expand as your budge allows.

While we could afford to put in a nicer fence now, my husband likes being able to untied the corner, pull the fence back and drive in with the tractor or mower that just doesn't fit through the gate.

 

[jhook1997]

Has anyone tried an electric wire down low?

 

[so lucky]

I would be afraid those wily chickens would learn to hop/fly over it, if it were low enough to hit them at a normal walking height.

 

[thistlebloom]

Has anyone tried an electric wire down low?

There is an electric netting made for poultry. Here's a link to give you an idea.

http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?species_id=6

 

[vfem]

Oooh, I just wrote a blog post on this. Fencing is required if you free range, but you have the option to do moveable tractors for them while they're out so you can decide where they go. If you don't have a lot to cover, you can do bird netting over plants you want them to stay away from. I line my raised beds with 2x4 welded wire and lay bird netting on top. Something like that, or a mini hoop house design with netting would work. More cost effective, and you can put it up when not using it since its not permanent.

 

[fair weather chicken]

last year we had free ranging layers. we used orange snow fence from the Menards by us. not only did it keep out chickens it also kept out wayward pigs.lol