Question for people with chickens and gardens

[indyblue]

I let my chickens have the run of the garden area all fall, winter & spring until I start planting. I currently have an orange plastic fence around the garden to keep the chickens out. I think you need to look at chicken tunnels: View attachment 251363

Interesting idea I never seen this.

She used to let her chickens run the property but between the Hawks and the coyotes they got picked off fairly quickly.

This chicken tractor should keep them safe from predators while allowing them a place to roam and roost.

 

[indyjohn]

Lots of good advice on here .........I agree a 3 section set-up could work the best . Not sure you need a separate area for the garden ? You could just have one dedicated section for your birds that you could section off down the middle if you wish , and then let the vegetation replenish itself in the vacant area .
Not many established garden areas can support a chickens` appetite . ( I do let mine into my corn patch after it has been well established , as corn can take the added Nitrogen )
Here is my main chicken run .......a lot cheaper than your described construction methods I`m sure .
It is about 45` square , I attached the netting at the perimeter pretty taught then just propped the posts underneath in a pattern of #5 on a dice with the middle post being the tallest . I placed small pieces carpet atop each post to protect the netting .
They are well protected from most predators ......
View attachment 251000 View attachment 251001 View attachment 251002 View attachment 251003

This is very cool. Must show the OG.

 

[stocknup]

This is very cool. Must show the OG.

Thanks ! .........I have in the past later in the growing season , blocked almost all access to the netted area ( just let them in where I usually plant corn )
I will rake it out a bit and sow it with some wheat and Barley seed for some new greens . It sprouts very quick .
I also use moveable electric fencing in various patches . ( Just trying to let them free range as much as possible while still trying to protect them )

 

[asevans]

I use the chicken tractor for meat birds. I do 10 meat birds a couple times in the summer. Works great

 

[cobber]

I have goats and chickens.....so I mellow my compost in piles by the year, so if I or someone I know needs compost it comes off the oldest existing pile.
We went with raised beds. Makes it easier to works the weeds out and I can plant crops closer. This fall I added two more boxes. IMHO this is best/cheapest way to go.
I keep my chickens enclosed...witha fenced in Area attached to the coop...you can see it in The upper left corner
View attachment 250974

Got rabbits?

 

[Magyars]

Got rabbits?

Not at this time

 

[teddy12b]

I've looked at the chicken tunnels and just never really got the point. Seemed like a smaller more claustrophobic chicken tractor. The setup I have I move around like a chicken tractor in a lot of way. Usually right before winter hits, I move everything up close to the shed, so the chickens get some protection from the wind in the cold weather. They're 175 yards from the back door and there's no power to heat anything back there so the coop is kept draft free and they like to snuggle anyway. When we get closer to spring, I'll move the whole setup again to a new patch of grass that the chickens will get to tear up for the better part of summer. I don't really plan to move it more than once or twice if I can avoid it, but when the whole enclosed area turns into a giant "mud" pit that's not really mud anymore I move it to a new location.

 

[BJHay]

I think you're plan will work but it seems like a lot of effort and money if you have the option to free-range the birds.
We have about 35 birds split between chickens and ducks. The ducks are a PITA and have a different coop.

Chickens have an amazing instinct to "come home to roost". You can buy door controllers that will let the birds out in the morning and close the door at night to keep out predictors. It makes for a low hassle operation.

Our garden is fenced but during the spring we'll let the chickens in to eat weed seeds. When the coop is mucked the manure goes on the garden and gets mixed with the soil.

We built the coop on an old hay wagon frame. We move it close to the house in the winter so we have a shorter walk. In the summer it goes further out and may be moved occasionally.

 

[teddy12b]

I'm a big fan of the free range concept. Only problems I've had is that's when my chickens tend to die. I think the last one or two chickens (bantams) died from something from the sky because one day when I went back to check on the chickens that day they were all taking cover under trees like their little lives depended on it. When I leave them all in the chicken run, I don't have any problems with predators. On the weekends or when I'll be outside for a good long while I'll let them all out and run around, but for day to day living I try to keep them all protected.

My chicken run is roughly 9'x19' so that's 171 sq ft and 28.5 sq ft per bird. From everything I've read that's a lot more room than most birds get.

I could probably add the additional 8 birds coming this spring to the same run, but I need another coop.

 

[dnurk]

Bumping this as it seems to be the most recent INGO chicken thread. Anyone in central indiana have a source for pullets? Looking for some thing spring (prob 4 or 5) as I’d prefer not to mess with chicks and a whole incubator set up right now.

 

[teddy12b]

Bumping this as it seems to be the most recent INGO chicken thread. Anyone in central indiana have a source for pullets? Looking for some thing spring (prob 4 or 5) as I’d prefer not to mess with chicks and a whole incubator set up right now.

The only source for pullets in northeast Indiana that I'm aware of is sold out till September and if you wanted some then you'd better call now.

 

[planedriver]

Maybe a little off track but ducks and gardens are friends. Ducks can run free in the garden and almost no damage. The only damage you may see is collateral to them eating the bugs off your plants. Typically they get the bug with no damage to vegetation.

Btw duck eggs are good to eat!

 

[spencer rifle]

 

[Bugzilla]

Won’t most of the TSC’s have chicks around Easter. When I raised chickens years ago, they were free range. Locked the coop every night.

 

[movevio1]

I think your idea will work just fine as long as they have some protection from airborne predators.

 

[tom1025]

Won’t most of the TSC’s have chicks around Easter. When I raised chickens years ago, they were free range. Locked the coop every night.

You can get chicks now at TSC and Rural King,

 

[teddy12b]

I'm picking up my new pullets tomorrow. Hopefully I'm not starting a giant chicken war when I introduce the new birds.