Chickens for Pest Control

[me&thegals]

Who uses chickens for pest control in their gardens? By pests, I'm talking about the insect kind.

Boy, I'm sure getting excited about gardening. I'm also determined to do better about my arch nemeses: weeds and bugs. I'm converting conventional land to organic. Even though I'm working on building the soil to a point where the plants are healthy enough to withstand attacks, it's goign to take a while.

So, I mainly would like a very simple, cheap way of enclosing chickens around either tilled ground before planting or well-established plantings that are experiencing bug problems, most likely squash and potatoes.

Thanks! I'm sure there are some excellent ideas out there. :bouquet

 

[freshfood]

Hi,

I don't personally put my chickens in the garden, but I go out about 7 am on summer mornings, when the sun is up but the air still cool (if you're an insect). I walk up and down between my pole beans with a plastic container (with a lid) and knock the Japanese beetles off the leaves into it. It's cool enough that they don't fly back out every time I open it to add more bugs, but they're out on the leaves, sunning themselves. When I've captured all I can find, I take them in to the girls, who have been watching the whole process, as the beans are right in front of the run. They meet me at the door, jumping up to peck at the container, and telling me to get a move on, already! I dump the bugs in the run and they are gone in seconds. This year, my beans had leaves instead of just the skeletons of leaves!!

I recently saw a plan (on Backyard Chickens Forum) for a coop/run that worked with the garden. It was really cool - it was a huge fenced area, divided in three sections. The chicken house/run was in the middle, with a garden area on each side. One year, Garden A would be planted, the chickens would have access to their run and Garden B. When the season was over, the chickens could help clean up Garden A. Next year, Garden B wouuld be planted, using that great fertilizer left the first year by the birds, and so on. There was a gate in each side of the chicken run, so access could be controlled. I would guess when the plants were big enough, the chickens could be allowed into the planted garden.

I know I didn't really answer your question, but this was such a neat plan that I just had to mention it, as it would let you control when the hens were allowed where, it might give you the best of both worlds, having the pest control without too much damage from the birds.

Anyway, good luck! The post was under "Coop and Run Design" and the subject was something about "plans my husband actually likes" or something to that effect. I could try to find it again and give you the exact link, if you were interested.

 

[me&thegals]

Thank you for the tip on the BYC plan. That sounds really neat. I do the same thing for our Japanese beetles here and then bring them to the farm for a treat for the girls. Thanks!

 

[kellygirrl]

There was a gate in each side of the chicken run, so access could be controlled. I would guess when the plants were big enough, the chickens could be allowed into the planted garden.

I remember specifically in an article on corn, that chickens are run through the fields to weed, eat pests, and fertilize when the crop is 6" high.

Looking forward to experimenting "soon" in my own garden.

 

[simple life]

If you just want to do something simple and cheap, get a roll of chicken wire and some wooden posts and throw together an inclosure.
You can move it around to new areas as you want without it being a major project.

 

[boyplayer]

It seens a good idea.Maybe the efficent war for pest conrtrol

 

[me&thegals]

I was at a conference recently where they talked about trained weeder geese

 

[shelleyd2008]

I haven't let mine in my garden, but I did get them to help out with yard pests. I didn't notice too many pests in the garden. The chickens couldn't keep up very well, so I got some guineas to help out. I would think that chickens would eat the veggies and fruits quicker than they would take care of the bugs?

 

[momofdrew]

Last summer was my first year with chickens it is the very first time I have not been over run with japanise bettles cucumber bettle asparagas bettles squash vine borer earwigs ants and weeds the only thing is you have to watch some of your plants especially when young...I am making tunnels and cages for what I dont want them to eat...and am planting extra just in case... I plan on wrapping chicken wire around the base of my tomatoes and cukes which I trellis so they cant eat their favorite foods at will...bonus was they pooped everywhere and scratched it into the soil for me...