Chickens & kitchen garden

Our take

Chickens and kitchen gardens can absolutely coexist—trust me, I’ve seen it in action! Growing up surrounded by my family’s flourishing gardens and flocks of chickens, I learned firsthand how these feathered friends can help control pests without wreaking havoc on plants. However, my recent experience with my own flock of North America Dirt Parrots had me questioning this harmony. Despite my childhood memories of chickens scratching and foraging without destruction, my little rascals seemed determined to dig up my plants’ roots. With my family’s gardening wisdom now out of reach, I turned to the internet for guidance. If you're out there and have found the secret to a cluck-tastic garden-chicken dynamic, I’m all ears!

I KNOW that chickens and gardens can coexist, but how?

Growing up we had chickens and an extensive kitchen garden, so did all my aunts, uncles and grandparents. The chicken gate (a small gate that the chooks could fit through but goats, dogs, etc can't) to the garden was kept shut from when the snow melted until the seeds had germinated and plants had reached about 6" in size. I spent a lot of time in those gardens, and watched those birds eat pests and scratch around without being destructive.

Fast forwards to last summer when I finally was able to get my own flock of North America Dirt Parrots and those fluffy jerks seemed hell bent on preventing a harvest of any kind, mostly by digging at the base of plants to the point of exposing roots. My parents were useless when I went to them for suggestions. They now live under the confines of an HOA and are barred from owning poultry and can't remember ever having a problem or actively doing anything to prevent a problem. My aunts & uncles were equally unhelpful. My grandparents, who were always the best resource when it came to gardening & animal husbandry sadly all passed on a couple years ago.

I've turned to the internet and it seems like everyone says chickens and gardens can't co-exist, but I know they can! Somewhere out there I KNOW there are folks out there who do it, so I'm looking for you, wherever you are. Please give me your tips! PLEASE

submitted by /u/RedRavenRoost
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Tagged with

#chickens#fear of chickens#chicken breeds#chicken behavior#chicken myths#animal fears#chicken anatomy#chicken eggs#kitchen garden#coexist#poultry#chicken gate#pests#gardening#animal husbandry#flock#seeds#plants#roots#harvest