keeping chickens out?

16 years ago

I have a flower bed that consists of a rock border with mulch in it. The neighbors chickens come over and dig up the mulch, is there anything i can pour out there that will keep the chickens away from it?

thanks

Featured Answer

John Ker

8 years ago

this is easy , Just shoot em and toss the dead chickens back in the neighbors yard where they belong.

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Comments (11)

sullicorbitt
16 years ago
The only thing I know of to keep chickens out is fencing.

-Sheila
marlingardener
16 years ago
I have been told that cedar mulch is toxic to chickens. Try telling your neighbor that the mulch (whether it is cedar or not) is bad for the chickens--it may encourage the neighbor to at least confine the chickens to his/her yard. Otherwise I can't think of anything to solve the problem. Good luck!
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annpat
16 years ago
No, your choice is fencing or reasoning with your neighbor. Chickens can uproot an entire garden in a half an hour.
velvet_sparrow
16 years ago
I agree, either the neighbor needs to fence the chickens (which is what he SHOULD do), or you need to fence them out...and make it a few feet high, chickens can be pretty clever about hopping up on things/flying to get to a tasty garden!

If fencing is out, you might try putting down a layer of bark mulch, then a thick layer of large-chunk gravel mulch over it. It may keep them from digging, but it won't protect the plants from being eaten.

Certain plants are VERY toxic to chickens, try telling your neighbor you have some planted in your yard (please don't actually do so, it isn't the chickens' fault their owner is a twerp) IN ADDITION to cedar bark mulch. He may be more motivated to keep them home if he thinks your yard is a poison playground for his birds!

Velvet ~:>
gcmastiffs
16 years ago
Are these heavy breeds or Bantams? Heavy breeds can usually be stopped by a simple 3-4' fence around the flower bed. I have to fence in all my planted areas if I want the mulch to stay there, and the plants to survive. I use the green wire fencing, it is nearly invisible.

I even have to make wire cages around my potted plants on the patio.

Fruiting trees have to be fenced even higher, as the motivation of Blueberries, Blackberries, Mangos and Peaches incite a strong desire to pillage!!!

Chickens can be soooo destructive!

Lisa
hotzcatz
16 years ago
Somewhere in a mail order magazine I saw some motion activated water sprinklers. If the chickens got sprayed with water every time they went near your garden they would soon learn to stay away. If you can't find the motion activated ones, perhaps a water hose which detoured past your sitting spot which could be human activated would convince the chickens to go somewhere else.

At one time I had one of those old Red Ryder BB guns, the one pump type which shot a BB really weakly. My porch was aways from the garden so I could use the BB gun to "ping" the chickens when they got into the garden and they soon learned to stay out of the garden. It didn't hurt them but they would be alarmed and jump when the BB hit them.
billie_ladybug
16 years ago
I have fencing "buried" in my garden beds. I lay in on top and cut holes into it to plant. It also keeps the cats from using the beds as a litter box and the dogs from digging everything up. The plants cover it in no time and I don't have to climb the fence to weed.

Billie
mersiepoo
16 years ago
I think the scare crow water blaster would be a great deterrent. Either that or keep the chickens when they come over if your neighbor doesn't put up a fence to keep the birds from wandering.
beegood_gw
8 years ago
Why are you concerned on how to do this. Tell your neighbor that either he keeps those chickens home or there will be chicken stew at your house for Sunday dinner every week After he misses a few he will fence and if he doesn't care enough why should you. YUM
LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
This was 7 years ago folks. The offending chickens are most likely dead now and the OP hasn't posted in years.

keeping chickens out?

John Ker

Comments (11)

sullicorbitt

marlingardener

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annpat

velvet_sparrow

gcmastiffs

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LoneJack Zn 6a, KC

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