Keeping your garden safe from your backyard chickens can be a challenge, but with the right strategies, you can protect your plants without compromising the well-being of your feathered friends. In this blog post, we’ll explore practical tips and tricks for maintaining harmony between your garden and your flock.
How to Keep Chickens Out of Garden?
To keep chickens out of your garden, create a barrier using chicken wire or a physical fence, and provide a designated area for them to scratch and peck. For added protection, consider using repellents or planting chicken-resistant plants around the edge of your garden.
Create a Barrier Around Your Garden
To effectively protect your garden from chickens, one of the primary steps is to create a physical barrier. While there are several options available, we’ll discuss some of the most practical and easy-to-implement solutions.
Chicken Wire
Chicken wire is an affordable and easy-to-install option that can effectively keep chickens out of your garden. To set up a barrier using chicken wire, simply follow these steps:
- Measure the perimeter of your garden
- Buy chicken wire of appropriate length
- Secure the wire with stakes or posts in the ground
- Make sure the wire is at least 3-4 feet high to prevent chickens from jumping or flying over
Remember that chicken wire won’t only deter your chickens but also provide a shield against other garden pests like rabbits.
Wooden or Vinyl Fence
A solid wooden or vinyl fence can be a more durable and aesthetically pleasing solution for protecting your garden from chickens. Fences provide a secure barrier that can be harder for birds to breach than chicken wire. While fence installation can be more expensive and labor-intensive, they generally have a longer life and can also offer more privacy.
Designate a Chicken-Friendly Area
Creating an area in your backyard where the chickens can scratch, peck, and forage can help to satisfy their curiosity and reduce the temptation to explore your garden. Some ideas for designing a chicken-friendly space include:
- Adding a dust bath for chickens to clean themselves and stay healthy
- Providing varying textures and materials for them to explore, such as hay bales, logs, and tree branches
- Planting chicken-friendly plants, like sunflowers, for them to snack on
- Providing food and water resources in a designated area to keep them occupied
By providing them with an engaging space to call their own, the chickens will be less likely to wander into your garden, so you can keep both your plants and your flock safe and happy.
Choose Chicken-Resistant Plants
If you want to reduce the likelihood of your chickens destroying your garden, consider planting chicken-resistant plants. Chickens tend to be less attracted to certain types of plants that have strong odors, rough textures or are simply less tasty. Here are a few examples of chicken-resistant plants that you may consider incorporating in your garden:
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Garlic
- Onion
- Ferns
- Thorny or prickly plants like roses and blackberries.
By planting some of these chicken-resistant plants around the perimeter of your garden, you can create an extra line of defense to help keep your chickens at bay.
Use Chicken Repellents
Another strategy to keep chickens out of your garden is to use safe and non-toxic chicken repellents. These repellents can deter your flock creating an additional level of protection to your garden. A couple of examples of chicken repellents include:
Scents
Chicken’s sense of smell is less acute than humans, but they may still be deterred by strong odors they find unpleasant. You can try sprinkling spices like cayenne pepper, black pepper, or garlic powder around the garden. Be cautious, as using spices can be tricky, you don’t want to use anything that may harm or irritate the chickens, so research the spice you intend to use beforehand.
Visual Deterrents
Chickens, like many birds, can be frightened by shiny or moving objects. Consider hanging CDs, pinwheels, or small mirrors near your garden to create a visual deterrent. Remember to move these items around periodically since chickens may become used to their presence over time.
Train Your Chickens
Raising a well-behaved group of backyard chickens can make it easier to keep them out of your garden. While it might take some time and patience, training chickens can be an effective way to establish boundaries between your garden and their designated area. Some training techniques to consider include:
Clicker Training
Clicker training is a popular method to teach chickens desired behaviors using positive reinforcement. By using a clicker to make a distinct noise, followed by the immediate reward of a treat, chickens can begin to associate the noise and action with the reward, thus reinforcing good behavior. By teaching your chickens to stay within their designated area using clicker training, you can help to keep them out of your garden.
Herding
Chickens are social and often follow each other, meaning if you can train the dominant bird in the flock, the others will follow suit. Gently herding the chickens back to their designated area each time they venture into the garden can help establish boundaries over time. Be patient and consistent in your herding, and eventually, they will learn the limits of their territory.
Protecting your garden from backyard chickens while ensuring their safety and well-being can be a challenging task, but by using a combination of barriers, designated areas, chicken-resistant plants, chicken repellents, and training techniques, you can strike a balance that works for both your garden and your flock. Happy gardening!
Introduce Appealing Perches
Chickens love to perch, and providing interesting and comfortable perching options in their designated area can keep them engaged and discourage them from wandering into the garden. You can create perches using reclaimed wood, natural branches, or old ladders. Make sure the perches are stable and secure enough to support your chickens’ weight, and place them in shaded areas to encourage the flock to spend more time in their designated space.
Incorporate Chicken Tunnels
Chicken tunnels, also known as “chunnels,” can be a practical and innovative way to keep chickens away from your garden. These tunnels, made using wire mesh or chicken wire, allow chickens to navigate through your yard while being confined to specific pathways. Chicken tunnels can help guide your chickens to specific areas, keeping them out of your garden and allowing them to forage in safe spaces. Additionally, by building these tunnels around the perimeter of your garden, your chickens can act as a natural pest control solution, keeping unwanted insects away.
Supervise Free-Range Time
Allowing your chickens to free-range under supervision can be a highly effective way to keep them out of your garden. By monitoring their activity, you can respond swiftly whenever they approach the garden area and redirect them back to their designated space. Over time, with consistency and reinforcement, the chickens will learn where they are allowed to roam and forage, reducing the risk of them wandering into your garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of frequently asked questions related to keeping chickens out of the garden. We’ve answered these questions to help you better understand the intricacies involved in maintaining harmony between your backyard flock and your garden.
1. How high should a fence be to keep chickens out?
A fence should be at least 3-4 feet high to prevent chickens from jumping or flying over. If your chickens are particularly strong fliers or persistent, you may need to consider a taller fence or cover the top with a netting material.
2. Are there any plants that chickens are particularly attracted to?
Chickens are drawn to tender, leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and Swiss chard. They can also be attracted to ripe fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and strawberries.
3. Can chickens damage my garden plants?
Yes, chickens can damage your garden plants by scratching, pecking, and uprooting them while searching for insects or simply while playing.
4. How can I provide a dust bath for my chickens?
Create a shallow pit or container filled with a mixture of dirt, sand, and wood ash. Provide enough space for the chickens to comfortably roll around and bathe themselves, which helps to maintain good hygiene and control external parasites.
5. How can I safely relocate a chicken nest?
To safely relocate a chicken nest, first, gently remove the eggs or chicks and transfer them to a makeshift nest nearby. Next, carefully disassemble the original nest and reassemble it within a designated area, ideally closer to other chickens for protection. Place the eggs or chicks into the new nest, and give the mother hen some time to find them.
6. Should I clip my chickens’ wings to keep them out of the garden?
Clipping a chicken’s wings is a personal decision and should only be done if necessary. It can reduce their ability to fly and may help keep them out of the garden. However, it should only be undertaken if you are knowledgeable about the process, as improper wing clipping can lead to injury.
7. Can I use mulch to deter chickens from entering the garden?
Using coarse or rough-textured mulch can deter chickens from walking on the garden beds, as they prefer surfaces that are comfortable to walk on. However, this method may not be entirely effective, and the use of fencing or other protective measures may still be necessary.
8. How do I stop my chickens from eating my garden seedlings?
Covering your seedlings with wire mesh or cloches can protect them from being eaten by chickens until they are established and large enough to withstand pecking or scratching.
9. Are chickens beneficial or harmful to my garden?
Chickens can be beneficial to your garden by eating insects and pests, and their manure enriches the soil. However, they can also cause damage by scratching and uprooting tender plants. Balancing their access to the garden is crucial for maintaining a healthy relationship between your chickens and garden plants.
10. Can chicken manure be applied directly to my garden?
Fresh chicken manure is high in nitrogen and may burn plants, so it is best to let it age or compost it first, usually for at least 3 to 6 months. Once composted, it can be an effective and beneficial organic fertilizer for your garden.
11. What should I do if my chickens keep escaping their designated area?
Make sure the enclosure is secure and free of gaps, holes, or weak sections. Consider increasing the height of the fence or installing a fine mesh or netting on top. Re-evaluate the designated space and make it more appealing by providing engaging chicken-friendly amenities or increasing the size of the area.
12. How long do I need to train my chickens before they stay out of my garden?
Training time varies for each chicken and flock, but with consistency and persistence, most chickens can learn garden boundaries within a few weeks. Clicker training and herding can reinforce the understanding of designated areas for your chickens.
13. Can I use an electric fence to keep chickens out of the garden?
While an electric fence may be effective in keeping chickens out of the garden, it may not be the most humane or safe solution. Always prioritize non-harmful methods like physical barriers, training techniques, and designated spaces for your chickens.
