Wild flower seed safe?

[nanceann]

We are working on permaculture beds, planning on buckwheat for starter to get the bed going, my dh wants to mix in some wild flower seed. Any issues with the chicks and wild flowers?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

None that I'm aware of. More of a danger to the wildflowers until they get established. The chickens will scratch out all unestablished plants.

 

[Folly's place]

There are plants that are toxic if eaten, and your wildflower mix should have seed varieties listed, so you can see any issues. The chickens will happily demolish any young plants unless you have lots of space for them. Mine free range and haven't had problems with plant species of many sorts, including some toxic ones, but they have several acres to explore and avoid the problem plants. mary

 

[Robber]

Just about to sow a wild flower meadow patch in our garden, but our chickens free roam and I'm worried they will eat the seeds or destroy the young plants.

Any suggestions, apart from locking up the chickens for a few weeks?

 

[balloonflower]

Fence the new patch off. Possibly even bird netting over the top--they will happily scratch up all the new plants or seeds.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree. Some type of barrier between the chickens and the garden spot they can’t get by or over.

 

[azygous]

Every spring, I have small beds where I encourage flowers to grow. My chickens free-range and will scratch up any new shoots, making it impossible for plants to grow. So I just throw down some scraps of poultry mesh over the soil in those spots. By the time the plants are established, several inches tall with solid roots, I remove the fencing scraps.

No need to put up a fence. Chickens find it unpleasant to try to scratch in dirt that's got chicken wire lying on it.