Chicken-proofing vegetable garden from free-ranging chooks

[Aspen25]

Our 20 or so chickens have a new and very large coop and run. This coop and run is within our even more large vegetable garden. They used to free range with a coop that was elsewhere but they were continually jumping fences and gates in order to rummage through our large vegetable garden that is in the middle of our property. So they got locked up, in the new coop in hopes that we would eventually set up a system of letting them free range, maybe a tunnel out into the rest of the property so they wouldn't have to go through the veggie garden destroying everything in their path. They have access to a smaller greenhouse area during the day sometimes, that is until they started escaping and digging up and eating seedlings. I may have figured out a way to get them out but it involves putting little doors into existing fences, and tunnels between the doors so they have no choice but to go out and not get sidetracked by pumpkins and worms etc. We are putting chicken wire on top of the walls of the garden so they will no longer be able to jump over into the garden once they're out, we just don't know how to get them out.
Has anyone had to do something like this or have any suggestions? It is made more complicated by the fact that there are people gates in the way so a chicken tunnel along the fence line from the coop wouldn't work as people wouldn't be able to open the gates anymore.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I am not sure I completely understand the situation. A photo or illustration might help.

I can say that chickens are much less likely to jump over fences that have no solid top rail. My chickens will jump over the wooden gate but not the 3-foot welded wire fence.

 

[Debbie292d]

I agree with @StinkyAcres. Your set up is confusing for us to understand the dilemma without pictures.

We put 3' chicken wire around our garden, and that keeps them out. Granted, these are silkies who can't fly anyway but can tear up a garden as good as any chicken if they weren't kept out.

We'd love to help but need to understand the situation better.

 

[Aspen25]

I am not sure I completely understand the situation. A photo or illustration might help.

I can say that chickens are much less likely to jump over fences that have no solid top rail. My chickens will jump over the wooden gate but not the 3-foot welded wire fence.

yes sorry, it is hard to tell without an image however I am not too keen on putting property pics online. But, it is a large, square fenced garden on our property. The coop is inside the large fenced area, we need to find a way for the chickens to get out to free range on the rest of the property without going through the garden...

 

[StinkyAcres]

I completely understand not wanting to post photos. Your new description does help me get a better idea of the area.

Chunnels might be your best bet. And keeping the chickens from jumping back in by adding to the garden fence to make it higher with no solid top rail.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Is the coop completely surrounded by the garden fence?

 

[Aspen25]

Is the coop completely surrounded by the garden fence?

yes. with two gates on either side of it, one leading to a separate little paddock adjacent to the coop and another into the greenhouse area behind the coop

 

[Aspen25]

I completely understand not wanting to post photos. Your new description does help me get a better idea of the area.

Chunnels might be your best bet. And keeping the chickens from jumping back in by adding to the garden fence to make it higher with no solid top rail.

yes having no solid top rail would help, they do love gate jumping