Free Range Chickens Run Amuck

farmwoman · Joined: 15 Apr 2003 Posts: 5 Location: Poetry Texas

We have about 20 chickens that we let free range our 20 acres, in Poetry Tx, during the day. Pen them in a coop at night. They have gotten very destructive toward my flower beds and even potted plantings on the porches of the house. Short of fencing in everything, what can I do to discourage them from scratching out my plants. They seem to be drawn to the ammended soft earth in the beds. Vegetable garden is now completely enclosed by fence, but don't have time or money to fence all landscaping and flower beds. I noticed they are much worse in the winter when bugs and greenery are rare. We feed them more during cold months, but they still scratch out plants at the root zones. Caging them full time is a last ditch solution we would rather not have to do. Any suggestions would be appreciated. :wink:

Tony M · Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 1085 Location: McKinney,TEXAS

Farmwoman- I will keep checking to see if you get a solution to this. This is a tough one. I have about 15 birds and have the same problem. We have the vegetable garden fenced about 4' high. The shrub beds have a small 18" fence around them which mostly keeps them out. I think what makes our eggs so nutritious is because the birds have access to all our property, including some of the beds. If you are not willing to provide that, I think you will see a decline in your egg production and quality. I don't know what your objectives are with the chickens you have, but you might want to consider bantams which are smaller and less destructive.

farmwoman · Joined: 15 Apr 2003 Posts: 5 Location: Poetry Texas

We originally got the Banties to help with the grasshopper infestations last spring. They did a wonderful job. We do enjoy the free range eggs and sell some too. Also eat the occasional rooster cull, which is another good reason to be organic. We have 20 acres here, so they have plenty of space aside from my beds. I tried to mulch with pebbles, even, and that barely slowed them down. I am planting flowers now in the vegetable garden which has a 4 ft fence all around. Am trying to find solutions to their scratching so that I can make beds around the house too. I may just have to bite the bullet and concede to fencing all places that I don't want them to roam. Thanks for your input..........I will keep hoping for more responses with more suggestions from people with more experience than I have.

watermaker · Joined: 14 Apr 2003 Posts: 24 Location: clifton,tx

Farmwoman I'm in the process of getting rid of my chickens because I can't keep them out of the flower beds. Don't really eat that many eggs anyway. It was nice to see them run around the yard--tho' at times unexpected surprises on the porch and sidewalk.

Guineas seem to-- not scratch in the flower beds and are quiet good eating bugs from your garden and yard. They do make lots of noise.

farmwoman · Joined: 15 Apr 2003 Posts: 5 Location: Poetry Texas

Watermaker, Bummer about the chickens. I will fence before I get rid of them. Do you know if the bantie hens will accept and hatch guinea eggs, and will they all roost in a coop together, or do I have to build a separate one for the guineas? Just wondering..............

carolynz · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Posts: 11 Location: Washington,TEXAS

Farmwoman, after many years of gardening & banties, the only way of keeping sane was to fence in wherever I don't want them. It has been worth the effort & expense for me. This has been the 1st year of the fence, so I am curious to see how the grasshopper pop. does. As you know, the banties do a superior job of keeping the hoppers in control.

Banties will hatch anything they can sit on. I haven't had guineas in years - think they roosted in the trees. But that was in our pioneer days (mid 70's). We've upgraded the poultry accomodations since then.

watermaker · Joined: 14 Apr 2003 Posts: 24 Location: clifton,tx

Farmwoman banties or any other chicken hen will hatch guinea eggs. The guineas are not good parents they pull the babies on to fast and most will not survive. An ol' sitting hen makes the best mommas. Not anything better for hoppers than guineas. I love chickens but enjoy my garden beds more. Some of my guinea roost in the chicken house but most like a tall tree close to your house. Owls will pester 'um when away from the house.

banot · Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 7:29 am Post subject: guineas vs. chickens

Unless you have a pretty big coop, I wouldn't advise housing chickens (especially bantams) with guineas. Even when our guineas are [i]outside[/i] with the other chickens, the guineas grab the chickens tails. The chickens then try to run, the result (though not serious) causes a lot of squawking! However, if you had them in the same coop, you might wind up with a few bleeding/injured/dead bantams. The simplest thing would probably be to let them roost in the trees, if you don't have to worry about cars hitting them (a problem we have). We have to pen up some of our guineas out in the field to keep the rest of the guineas out there, rather than in the street/across the road.

banot