My parents had chickens. They will destroy your garden if you let them (chickens, not my folks). But they are so funny. It was awful when a fox got all of them in a night 😔 they live next to a country park.
My toddler is currently obsessed with a fox rescue woman on YouTube. She escape proofs the yards by getting steel chicken wire type stuff and attaching it to the ground with tent peg type things. She makes sure it curves and is securely bolted to the ground so they can't dig under it. I'm guessing the same thing applies if you're trying to stop them getting in as out. Might be worth a look on YouTube for ideas.
@sarinka We keep chicken not too smelly we clean daily as we let them out in morning open coop door then for a run around plot then in evening for a run before we shut them up for the night poop pick ups weeklly big clean - more noise if you have a male chickens as they call a lot
They do make cute noises some alerts if they see a cat or a rat
Ducks are a lot more smelly as when you go around farms, One person at Longdown Activity farm - said if you went for any chickens are better less smelly too
We only have one chicken left from a group of 7 and she is 6 years old now. Never had any problem with smells and they have had free range of our garden 24/7 (luckily never had any foxes). They do love flower beds though and at the moment I'm struggling to keep any flowers on my campanula but she does more damage from digging. At the end of the day I love my garden but also love my chicken and if she's happy then I am too.
This is our remaining old girl Charlie sunbathing today.
We only have one chicken left from a group of 7 and she is 6 years old now. Never had any problem with smells and they have had free range of our garden 24/7 (luckily never had any foxes). They do love flower beds though and at the moment I'm struggling to keep any flowers on my campanula but she does more damage from digging. At the end of the day I love my garden but also love my chicken and if she's happy then I am too.
This is our remaining old girl Charlie sunbathing today.
So hard when you are down to one - from what I've read integration can be difficult
if you think chickens are bad, try ducks... They have big flat feet, can flap over fences, and are omnivores. And as for peafowl... I finally ( this was way back before I came here) bought a big fruit cage kit. It was either cage the birds or cage the food crops.. Hens are of low IQ so as long as they have food and a place to dig. A movable coop is ideal.
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My toddler is currently obsessed with a fox rescue woman on YouTube. She escape proofs the yards by getting steel chicken wire type stuff and attaching it to the ground with tent peg type things. She makes sure it curves and is securely bolted to the ground so they can't dig under it. I'm guessing the same thing applies if you're trying to stop them getting in as out. Might be worth a look on YouTube for ideas.
This is our remaining old girl Charlie sunbathing today.