chickens and crops

[tabitha]

we have free range chickens.

the garden plot will be wattle- fenced from them, so it isnt a concern. but i am wondering if anyone has experience with their chickens and certain crops- garbanzo beans? gourds? runner beans? we are growing some of these out of the main plot and i am curious if the girls will leave them alone.

any ideas welcome!

[Pharmerphil]

The chickens never harmed our beans.Now, they were not allowed to free range until the garden was well established, cause they will scratch the fresh dirt. They actually did their part and removed quite a few bugs, and they always walked the rows between the beans, and all the crops, the lil bandits tho did make keeping the lower tomatoes picked a ongoing task! They liked the open dirt that is constantly kept free of vegetation, around the Giant Pumpkin plants, but they never harmed the pumpkins, or the vines, or they would Now be IN THE FREEZER!!http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y296/chobb/Whis.gif

[Cliff Timmons]

Our chickens eat our table scraps so they are familiar with tomatoes, greens, squash, and the like so the munch down on them. :confused:

Our garden is surrounded with a 4 foot fence. They could fly over it but they don't. Come Spring the gate is closed until Fall. Unless the grasshoppers are bad they have to stay out during the growing season.