If you have already had free-range chickens that cause havoc in the garden or in the yard, you know very well how much damage they can cause in a short time; However, there are things you can do to discourage them from stepping on, pecking and scratching certain areas.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Move them away
Step 1. Spray them with water
When you see chickens roaming around your yard, quickly water them with a regular garden hose; keep the water pressure to a minimum to scare them without hurting them.
- Chickens typically return within a short time after first bathing them, but if you consistently repeat this method, they eventually associate your property with water and start avoiding it.
- Since you have to be physically present when they invade the garden to be able to scare them in this way, you may not always catch them in the act; for this reason, you should consider purchasing a motion sensor sprayer that bathes animals even in your absence.
Step 2. Sprinkle some spices
Spread cinnamon, paprika, garlic, curry powder, salt or black pepper among the plants or make a mixture of all these ingredients; apply them along the perimeter of the property.
- Most chickens do not like the pungent smell of strong spices and therefore tend to avoid the areas that give it off.
- If the birds trample the ground treated with spices, these stick to the legs, transmitting a burning and tingling sensation; the animals are not harmed, but the sensation is usually unpleasant enough to cause them to leave.
Step 3. Use citrus peel
Gather old lemon, lime or orange peels and toss them around the garden perimeter and between the flower beds.
- You can optionally try sprinkling the soil with lemon or lime juice as an individual remedy or in combination with peels.
- To maximize the effect, you can also cut citrus fruits in half and throw them in the garden.
- Chickens generally dislike the smell of citrus fruits, which may be enough to keep them away; furthermore, if they peck a piece of these fruits, the sour taste should cause them to run away without suffering any damage.
Step 4. Plant some unsightly herbs
Some are natural repellents for these birds; if you grow them in the garden, place them around the perimeter or plants you want to protect. Their smell should be strong enough to prevent animals from invading your property.
- There are several perennial herbs suitable for this purpose, consider planting oregano, thyme, lavender, mint, lemongrass, marjoram, chamomile, and sweet star.
- Make sure that these plants settle well in the soil and that the roots are well covered, so that the chickens cannot scratch them if they come close out of curiosity.
- Whenever possible, plant stabilized plants instead of growing them from seeds or seedlings from the nursery; only those grown enough are strong enough to resist free-range hens, while young plants may be too weak.
- Many annual plants have been shown to be effective against chickens, such as nasturtium, balsamine, alyssus, petunia and marigold; however, such plants can fall victim to these birds in areas where there is little food available.
Step 5. Weed selectively
Chickens prefer "bare" soils, so surfaces with a lot of grass or plant material tend to be less attractive to them than well-trimmed lawns and gardens with large patches of uncovered land.
- If weeds are a problem, you can achieve the same effect by planting flowers or vegetables closer than usual. by doing so, you may limit the development of certain plants a bit, but ultimately a densely cultivated flowerbed could be the determining factor in saving the garden.
- However, some plants cannot grow in "crowded" soil; if weeds cause any specimens to wilt, try plucking some without cleaning the area entirely. Avoid creating large areas of open soil that could attract chickens.
Part 2 of 3: Keep them out
Step 1. Protect the plants with a fence
The simplest way to prevent chickens from attacking a specific plant is to build a barrier; a wire mesh fence and support structure is enough to keep these pesky animals at bay.
- Place the plant you need to protect in a structure or "cage" for growing tomatoes or surround it with two or four stakes.
- Arrange the wire mesh around the posts by threading them vertically into the meshes, so that the entire structure is stable.
- It is sufficient that the barrier is only 15-30 cm high to keep most of the chickens away.
Step 2. Cover the ground with a wire cloth
If you need to protect a large area of mulch under which you have recently sown or planted sprouts, you can spread this type of canvas, which most animals do not like to walk on due to the tactile sensation transmitted to the legs.
- Buy a deer net with relatively small meshes and spread it over the entire surface to be protected; secure them in edges with heavy stones or bricks to prevent them from lifting.
- Alternatively, buy a heavy tarp and cut a rectangle out of it large enough to cover the area you are interested in. Cut out a small square in each corner and fold all four edges towards the corners you just cut to create four perpendicular "legs" to rest the wire mesh on. Place this handcrafted cover directly on the ground you want to protect, it should stand firmly without the need for any other support.
Step 3. Surround the base of the plants with rocks
This is another technique for keeping plants under cover individually; all you need is medium or large bricks or stones. Make sure these obstacles are heavy enough to prevent birds from moving them.
- Wait to arrange the stones until you see the sprouts sprouting; this way, you know exactly where the base of the plant is and avoid accidentally blocking or crushing it.
- Use stones that have a minimum diameter of 15 cm; any smaller object could be too light and particularly aggressive specimens could move it.
- Make sure that the base of the plant is completely surrounded by a barrier of stone or brick by minimizing gaps.
Step 4. Grow plants in pots
Most chickens don't bother those in tall containers, as they would have to work too hard to reach them. It may not be possible to keep all the plants in the garden in pots, but if there is one that you particularly care about, you can keep it safe with this remedy.
In the case of particularly aggressive chickens, you need to use other measures, even if you have moved the precious plants into the pots. Bring the latter to the patio, under the porch or to another area completely out of reach of the hens; alternatively, surround the base of the newly sprouted shoots in the pots with stones and bricks as if they were on the ground
Part 3 of 3: Attracting Them Elsewhere
Step 1. Keep bare patches of land away from the garden
Chickens are attracted to these surfaces; if you keep the garden densely cultivated, but provide a separate uncultivated area in plain sight, you can be sure that most birds will abandon the plants to gather on the bare ground.
- Clean an area one meter long and equally wide; remove all plants, including grass and weeds, leaving only bare earth.
- Chickens should make their way to that area scratching and pecking for insects. They could also use this space for dustbaths; if they have an area available for these activities, it is likely that they will not do them in the rest of the garden.
- You can also spread diatomaceous earth on this surface every few months to keep chicken mites at bay.
Step 2. Grow a separate garden for the chickens
If you are trying to chase them away from the "main" garden, you can consider keeping one dedicated to them; fill it with lots of edible plants that these animals like so they can nibble on them.
- This trick is most effective if you combine it with other techniques for keeping chickens at bay; the mere presence of a space just for them is not a sufficient guarantee to solve the problem.
- The "chicken garden" should have bushes and low trees that provide shelter from the sun and possible predators.
- Include evergreen shrubs, too, so that the animals have a place to retreat even in winter.
- Growing edible plants could be a detail that attracts birds even more; berry-bearing bushes, such as elderberry or blueberry, are good solutions. Also, if you are taking care of your own chickens, the presence of these plants reduces the costs you have to incur for the feed.
