Happy call duck
Chillin' In The Garden
Hello every one can you help me i have chickens and i let them on my veg patch through the winter, how long before i can start sowing and put in my seedling once my girls have cleared all the weeds
Veg Plot
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baymule
Garden Master
Hi @Happy call duck !!! Welcome to TEG. You might want to get the hens off the garden a few weeks before planting. That would give you the time to get it prepared for planting. Tell us a little more about yourself, where are you located?
catjac1975
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My husband tills the garden with our all troy built tiller. The chickens follow him finding what ever they find in the loosened soil. He often has to try not to step on them as he tills.
Smart Red
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Welcome, Happy Duck! Glad to have you with us here on TEG! You've gotten good advice already from Bay and Cat. You will want to get into the garden as soon as you can work the soil. Helping with the weeds is only part of chicken herding. They will love to help you with grubs, bugs, ant eggs, etc. You shouldn't have to worry about waiting because of their 'fertilizing'. Once you have the ground ready for planting you should be fine.
Helping is something your chickens will want to do so much that you might consider fencing them out of the veggies. That's what I had to do to protect my veggies from their help.
Helping is something your chickens will want to do so much that you might consider fencing them out of the veggies. That's what I had to do to protect my veggies from their help.
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HEChicken
Attractive To Bees
I agree that you will need to fence them out if you want to eat any of the produce yourselves. Fresh chicken manure is hot so you will get the best results from letting it age a little. I would try to fence them out 6-8 weeks before planting. You might also find that tomatoes planted in soil that is too nitrogen rich, will grow into big, healthy plants but set very few fruit. I try to keep one end of the garden free of chicken manure so that I can plant tomatoes there. I found that last bit out the hard way, after letting the birds onto it and then planting tomatoes. I had 7' tall bushy plants but only a handful of tomatoes. Last year I left one end free of chicken manure and had 4' high plants loaded with fruit.
NwMtGardener
Garden Addicted
Hi happy call duck! I don't have any advice on the chickens, since I don't have any, but wanted to welcome you to TEG!
lesa
Garden Master
I think it really depends on your garden size, and the number of chickens you have. If your garden is large and your chickens few- when you decide to plant, fence them out of the area and go for it. If the ground is covered in chicken poop, I would wait a month before planting. Happy Gardening!
so lucky
Garden Master
And it shouldn't take a very strong fence to keep the chickens out. Doesn't have to be expensive. I had to fence my garden after I discovered that my chickens love green tomatoes. I just have a 2' high fence around my azalea garden, and the chickens don't try to jump over it. But the veggie garden fence is 4'. They could fly over it if they wanted, but are usually too busy to think about it.
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Happy call duck
Chillin' In The Garden
Hello baymule, and evry one for welcoming to TEG. Thanks for that information i will do that.As for were i live, I live on a small island just of the south coast of England called the isle of wight, it is approximately 37 kilometers long, x 21 kilometers wide. I have a dog called Poppy and five chickens, and a fish pond, that we have just finished, I have been growing my own veg now for about 3 year's with some success, when my dog does not eat my veg, and fruit, i also have fruit trees as well, 1 Apple, 1 Plum,1 pair, i have just got my self a cherry tree, that i'm trying to espalier. which i have never done before. should be fun.
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seedcorn
Garden Master
I have bantams that aren't as destructive as standards. So take that into account.
I leave them in until I plant-not enough manure to make a difference once tiller hits it.
IF they would leave my cabbage and peppers alone, I'd let them back in for everything else. But they won't, so TO THE PEN for them! When one gets out, they head straight for peppers and cabbages. They are determined!
I leave them in until I plant-not enough manure to make a difference once tiller hits it.
IF they would leave my cabbage and peppers alone, I'd let them back in for everything else. But they won't, so TO THE PEN for them! When one gets out, they head straight for peppers and cabbages. They are determined!
