Mel read or heard that you could keep chickens in your flower garden and they would eat the pests but not bother the flowers. So..... can you keep chickens in your Vegetable Garden to eat the bugs without them harming the veggies?

Mel wants chickens so bad but we know that it will require more fencing but it sure would help with the bugs. He raised chickens and sold the eggs when he was only 12 years old. That's how he made spending money.

Need your input please.

Nope, no chickens in the vegie garden, unless it's in the winter, OFF SEASON. (they will clean up the garden, beautifuly...)Anything, you will eat, they will eat. That includes some flowers, too. They will scratch around and up-root plants, also. Ducks aren't soo distructive, as they can't scratch and would rather eat bugs...
lacyj

I don't know if chickens will eat your flowers but they will for sure eat your vegetables!! They especially like the red ripe tomatoes.
If you only want a few chickens and can manage to keep them away from your garden, and there are no dogs to bother them, you can let them roam the yard. They will go into the coop at night to roost.

So much for the veggie/chicken garden. You know me, always looking for the easy way to do things. LOL I think we will eventually get some chickens but they will just have to have their own area. They will have to be fenced in because of the wild things around here plus the dogs and cats.

You might want to consider getting some guineas if you want bug eaters; they love bugs, ticks, snakes, etc. Of course, they are very noisy and some people call them watchdogs because nothing gets past them, and I also think they are kind of ugly, lol. I've never heard of them eating veggies but I've never actually had any so can't speak from experience.

Here's a link about guineas:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/200/guineas/

I have seen guineas and think they look kinda neat, you know so ugly they are cute. I think Mel is after chickens because he wants the eggs, but I will mention guineas to him, seems like they would work. I would love something to eat the ticks and bugs - we have lots. I think for this year, I'll have to be content with container gardening as we have to fight the deer, rabbits, etc. and I'm not sure we can get it fenced and the soil ready, but those chickens and/or guineas could certainly help the flower garden.

Oh Golly! This brings back a memory! My sister Patty's garden was complete distoryed by loose chickens! And she had a 1/4 acre garden too! Never forget that!~

Susie in MN

Pat, you might be able to get Mel's chickens into the garden if you used a chook tractor. It's a way of containing a small number of chickens along permaculture principles. Here's a link http://members.iinet.net.au/~helcreek/Chook%20stuff/geodesic.htm
I hope it gives you some alternatives to think about.

LOL I always find my sister yelling at her chickens to keep out of the flowers so amusing, and so futile.

She fenced in her veggie patch, then decided that rather than fence in the flower beds, she'd fence in the chickens and only allow them out at set times of day at which point they are so interested in the bugs in the horse pasture that they stay out of the flowers.

howdy....yes ya can put chickens in yer garden...but ya have to contain them I have been doing this fer years using a chicken tractor....make sure yer tractor is small enough to fit between yer rows 2-3 chickens in a tractor...move the tractor 2 times a day to spread out the chicken waste which in return will fertilize yer garden....I also have free range chickens that find enough food around here that I have never had a problem with them eating flowers of my veggies...but i have had a time of them digging around my 1 rose bush and exposing the roots....cant figure out why they picked just that 1 rose bush but i put down dirty kitty litter and it seems to have worked....good luck...dale anne

I have vague memories of my Grandma's chicken run that ran the perimeter of her garden. I remember her gathering all the chickens in there at certain times of the year, especially when the grasshoppers came. It was quite a sight to see them scramble to gobble up the hoppers as they tried to make there way thru the run. Sometimes it worked, other times there were so many grasshoppers, the chickens would get full and quit work!

When I had horses the place where we kept them, developed a rat and mouse problem because of all the spilled grain in the stalls. It got really bad but the other boarders didn't want poison put out. Chickens turned out to be the perfect solution!
Just my :twocents:! Chelle

My chooks free-range from about 11am. when I let them out of the coop. They go all over our 3 acres and sometimes into the neighbours!
Their favourite challenge is to get into the vege garden. Usually by the time I have spotted them they have shredded a few more beet and cabbage. I have nice "frilly" veges most of the time! It's a trade off.....frilly veges versus yummy fresh eggs!
If you decide to go ahead with chooks in the garden Pat, I can guarantee you will quickly develop excellent sprinting and bad language skills!! :hurray:

i picked up the egg of the chicken i just got (its my fourth)

will the chicken take care of the egg after i touch it:biggrinha

horror44,
Chickens have to want to set on eggs. If your chicken tried to keep you from taking the egg, she will probably set on it again. It's called "going broody". A chicken may or may not go broody and it usually is only once a year. She won't let you take the egg away and will try to peck you.

Horror, there are loads of good books and web sites that will help you with learning all about your chickens and their needs. Try your library too. The more you know the more you will enjoy and appreciate them!