Hi, everyone!
The landscaping at our place is nearly complete, and we've dedicated an enclosed part of the yard to chicken foraging. We'll be planting the recommended blend of plants for our region (Wasatch Mountains) which, we hope, will provide a wonderful salad bar for our feathered tenants. However, since this will be part of our yard and we care somewhat about appearances, and since we don't want the forage completely destroyed by the hens, we're wondering how to protect the roots and vital bits of the plants from their scratching about in the clover.
One idea we've had, or maybe that we've read about somewhere and stolen, is to stake down wire mesh fabric across the entirely of the area before we plant the seeds. Then, once the forage is established, the hens will have a big disincentive to scratching these plants to death. Hopefully that will keep the forage intact, healthy, and sustainable.
Big concern: We don't want whatever we install to injure the hens (bumblefoot). Hopefully the learning curve will be steep and they'll learn quickly to not scratch at the salad, but I do worry that their toes and claws will get pretty banged up...especially if they are slow learners!
So, can y'all please provide me with some advice going forward? What kind of product to use?
Would chicken wire be way too sharp and dangerous?
Or should I use a fine grid mesh like this? https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...nized-Steel-Hardware-Cloth-308231EB/205960850
Or maybe a woven wire material might be less likely to cause injuries? https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/red-brand-square-deal-field-fence-330-ft
Or perhaps a burly cattle feedlot panel (geomesh) would be even gentler? (Although I'd lose a lot of coverage with this.) https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft-l-x-50-in-h
I'd love to please get some feedback from somebody who has experience with this type of thing.
Much thanks, forum!
Travis Pearce
SLC
PS: Yes, we have provided a good-sized dirt bath for them to thrash about in as an alternative to destroying the forage.
The landscaping at our place is nearly complete, and we've dedicated an enclosed part of the yard to chicken foraging. We'll be planting the recommended blend of plants for our region (Wasatch Mountains) which, we hope, will provide a wonderful salad bar for our feathered tenants. However, since this will be part of our yard and we care somewhat about appearances, and since we don't want the forage completely destroyed by the hens, we're wondering how to protect the roots and vital bits of the plants from their scratching about in the clover.
One idea we've had, or maybe that we've read about somewhere and stolen, is to stake down wire mesh fabric across the entirely of the area before we plant the seeds. Then, once the forage is established, the hens will have a big disincentive to scratching these plants to death. Hopefully that will keep the forage intact, healthy, and sustainable.
Big concern: We don't want whatever we install to injure the hens (bumblefoot). Hopefully the learning curve will be steep and they'll learn quickly to not scratch at the salad, but I do worry that their toes and claws will get pretty banged up...especially if they are slow learners!
So, can y'all please provide me with some advice going forward? What kind of product to use?
Would chicken wire be way too sharp and dangerous?
Or should I use a fine grid mesh like this? https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...nized-Steel-Hardware-Cloth-308231EB/205960850
Or maybe a woven wire material might be less likely to cause injuries? https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/red-brand-square-deal-field-fence-330-ft
Or perhaps a burly cattle feedlot panel (geomesh) would be even gentler? (Although I'd lose a lot of coverage with this.) https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft-l-x-50-in-h
I'd love to please get some feedback from somebody who has experience with this type of thing.
Much thanks, forum!
Travis Pearce
SLC
PS: Yes, we have provided a good-sized dirt bath for them to thrash about in as an alternative to destroying the forage.
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