If you're looking into keeping chickens, or already have a flock on your hands, you may have to re-design your garden to ensure it's pet friendly. This might be an option to look into if you're considering free-ranging your flock, or simply because you're concerned if one of your hens somehow manages to escape the coop. In that case, follow this step-by-step article to help keep your chickens safe from harms way.
Steps
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Check over the garden. You need to be sure that there are no escape routes, holes through the fencing (if you have any) or poisonous plants about. Come up with a bullet list of problems that need fixing in the garden and work your way through them.
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Install secure fencing. This is vital, especially if you keep chickens. It keeps the chickens in and the predators out. You may want to opt for a more expensive option that works better for your flock if you have trouble with predators.
- Chicken wire is a good material to look into to reinforce the surrounding yard or to fence any problematic areas off.
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Keep dangerous pets locked up inside. Cats and dogs may pose as a stressful, and even harmful risk to your flock. If you're not too confident of your other pets being with the flock then it's best to be on the safe side and keep them indoors.
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Grow plenty of long grass. Chickens love grass and it plays part of their balanced diet. They also love to delve beneath the grass to gain plenty of hidden nutrients. Try keeping weeds about too; your chickens may enjoy them.
- Keep them off the yard if you've recently added any dangerous chemicals such as fertiliser or pesticides.
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Research plants in the garden. There are a list of plants that are poisonous to chickens so you might want to stay on the safe side, especially if you have a wide range of flowers in your garden. Chickens will usually go with their senses and avoid plants dangerous to them but there are always exceptions.
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Grow vegetables and herbs as a supplement. Chickens love vegetables and they will love them even more when they get to pick upon each plant in the garden. If you don't mind the vegetable plants getting picked at, grow an accessible veggie patch for the flock.
- Herbs are actually really good for chickens. They reduce stress and have health benefits. They're also quick and easy to grow. You may even have your own use out of the plantings.
- Be aware that some vegetables are toxic to chickens such as potatoes, tomatoes and avocados.
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Protect prized plants. Chickens will explore and peck at everything available to them in the garden. If you have a cherished plant that you'd hate to be destroyed then make sure you protect it. You can do this by putting a barrier of chicken wire around it.
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Avoid using chemicals and pesticides. This is a big and obvious no, especially if you have pets at home. The chemicals can irritate them whilst pesticides can make your animals very ill. Instead, opt for organic remedies.
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Avoid mowing or cutting the lawn. Your chickens will finish the job for you! Chickens love digging through long grass and it's essential to their free-range lifestyle. The leftover grass from the mower may also be unsafe to your flock.
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Make dust-bathing a choice. Chickens dust-bathe to groom themselves and to prevent parasites from occurring on their bodies. A basic pile of sand or dry dirt patch is enough to encourage your flock.
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Give the chickens availability to food and water. They might find themselves a bit peckish or thirsty after a hard day's work of exploring the garden. Water is especially important to keep your chickens hydrated, especially on a heated day.
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Provide access to the coop. Every now and then one of your hens may need to lay an egg due to the fact that they lay daily. You should keep the coop open for easy access or at least the nesting boxes.
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Keep the garden clean. Chickens do make a mess of the garden and waste can build up. Some people like to rake things in place and hose down the waste if it builds up. Other than that chickens don't usually make a mess and their waste provides a great, organic fertiliser for the grass and plants.Advertisement
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