I’ve finally figured out how to have a garden AND chickens. Raised beds with chicken wire stapled over the top. The plants grow right through the wire ( get the larger mesh) and the birds won’t scratch because the wire gets in the way. It ain’t a perfect fix, but so far it’s working.
Chickens?
FatBomb
(Jay Patten)
#24
I’ve got a lot to say about chickens, so to be brief, I will use bullet points 
-They are wonderful animals with lots of personality
-They will make you laugh every day
-They will eat anything, indluding other [cooked] chickens
-They thrive on table scraps. No onions or garlic, unless you want onion and garlic flavored eggs. No citrus, either
-They will eat insects, rodents, flowers, grasses, weeds, small snakes, worms, etc and etc. These are ideal foods for them. You can buy them crickets, mealworms, night crawlers, etc to supplement
-Scratch and chicken feed are NOT necessary for chickens to thrive. There are plenty of alternative foods that are better for them anyway
-Eggs are good for them, but you must cook the eggs before you feed it to them (you dont want them knowing whats inside or else they will eat their own eggs)
-Grind up your eggshells and feed them back to the chickens for calcium
-Invest in a good, easy to clean coop and an easy to move chicken tractor
-If you have a fenced in yard, or land, let them free range
-Clip their wings if you don’t want them getting into your trees or over your fence
-They lay eggs based on daylight. If you want them to lay during the winter you will need an artificial light source
-Other animals like to eat chickens as much as you do. Hawks, racoons, dogs, cats, large snakes, etc. Be mindful, especially of birds of prey
-If you have specific questions, just ask!
fiddlebanshee
(Jo)
#25
Great write up. Just one warning to add – do not feed them avocado pits - they are toxic to them and they will die within a day. Ask me how I know. I’m not sure about avocado peels/flesh but I’ve been on the safe side and kept that from them. Chocolate is also not a good idea (as is true for most animals).
Jan
(Jan)
#28
I left a gap between the top of the soil and the chicken wire. (Actually, I just didn’t have enough soil to fill my raised beds to the top, and it just worked out that way.) I also planted some leftover clover seeds on top of it all. So far they’ve been reaching thru the mesh to eat some clover seedlings (their favorite) but get frustrated pretty fast. I’m hoping the real seedlings (my garden plants) have a chance to grow enough that the girls won’t kill them by nibbling. I can hope…
mtncntrykid
(Ron)
#30
Well I got some chickens. I live inside the city limits on a standard size lot. I am having a problem. The chickens are good about staying in my back yard to roam and seem to like their coop and pen but the problem I am having (aside from the noise rooster) is that I can’t keep the magpie’s from getting in and eating the eggs. I have tried fake birds but after a couple days they don’t work any more. Shoot one once in a while with the pellet gun but have to be careful to not be seen by the neighbors or get caught. Are there any tricks that you can suggest that might help me keep them delicious eggs?
brownfat
(Todd Allen)
#31
I don’t think we have Magpies here in Chicago or at least I’ve not had that problem. Hens eating eggs though is common enough that if you search you can find a lot written about it and perhaps some of the advice might work for the Magpie issue too such as making the inside of the nest box very dark, perhaps with a curtain mostly covering the front. Or using roll away style nesting boxes. Or leaving unbreakable fake eggs in the nests. Or blown eggshells filled with mustard. Giving supplemental calcium such as crushed oyster shell or crushed egg shells can improve shell quality and reduce breakage. Good luck!