Chickens and new sprouts

[Suess]

I am trying to get a few things for fall started now. I am using seed and love to watch them all pop up. My chickens are in the back of the garden and I let them free range almost everyday. Is there something I can do to protect the new sprouts without standing guard and shooing chickens? Anyone know a trick, or something I can purchase to put over them?

 

[blurose]

I used 1" pvc pipe, bent them over the growing area and stuck them into the ground of the rectangular garden bed. I then covered this with chickenwire, effectively caging off my sprouting plants. It looked like a chickenwire quansit hut. I also took 2 pvc pipes, crossed them together in the middle, tied them, poked the ends into the four corners of the square growing area and covered this with chickenwire. It looked like a little chickenwire mushroom, but all my sprouts were safe from the marauding ground squirrels. Now that my plants are nice and big, I have removed the wire cages. Now my garden is"cagefree"

 

[rockytopsis]

I don't know how big your garden is but we just put a temporary fence around the fall garden. All I plant is mustard, kale, spinich, and turnip.

 

[punkin]

You could also try bird netting. Its very inexpensive and can be purchased at Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

Although, I don't know if chickens would get tangled in it.

 

[Suess]

I currently put hardware wire over them, just arched it and stuck the ends barely in the ground. They learned if they walk on it they can reach through. But maybe I can do the PVC idea and just cage all around. I would fence it off, but I have two different spots, but that might be easier.
Thanks for the ideas! I may just have to be mean and not let them free range until the little guys are out of the ground and doing well. They don't eat the large plants (except the broccoli leaves)

 

[silkiechicken]

I just fence everything I want to grow off. Pesky buggers know they aren't supposed to be in the fence and as soon as they hear me, I catch them quickly making their ways out!

 

[vfem]

I've been sprouting in the house and transplanting. My chickens are yet to wonder 200 ft from the coop though I let them roam. Haven't bothered my lettuce or radish sprouts that I just did outside from seed.

I would suggest a small fence though.

 

[me&thegals]

Great ideas! Could you get your hands on some floating row covers--lightweight white fabric? They're great for keeping out bugs and I would think they might work for chickens. But, I've not tried my chickens out in the garden. They DO keep out rabbits and deer.

 

[beefy]

you can put anything over them temporarily. i use old bird cages. also milk jugs and 2 liter bottles would work nicely.

 

[chickaD]

Last year I tried covering certain crops with the bird netting mentioned earlier (edges held down with rocks)...it kept out the chickens, who apparently don't like to get their feet tangled, and also discouraged a greedy woodchuck.