If I get a hen and turn her loose in the garden as a semi-permanant
resident, is she goiing to pick at tomatos etc or is it better to have a
separate area for said hen? How many hens could a 9'x60' garden
accomedate? More importantly, do they eat white flies and spider mites?

simy1 wrote:

"Ray Drouillard" wrote in message ...

As soon as the corn is all harvested, I'll let the chickens out so they
can get some free protein. I need to fatten the roosters up so we can
enjoy some stir-fried chicken, roasted chicken, chicken pie, chicken
soup, fried chicken..... :-)



I hear from someone who uses chicken in the garden that they
completely eliminate slugs, and strongly reduce weed seeds (I have to
spread sluggo if I want to garden). Because they scratch, they get
seeds all the way down to maybe 1/2 inch. They also do a good job with
all sort of insects and grubs, good and bad. Of course, they will
eliminate tomatoes and green seedlings if you let them in in the
summer. She only lets them in for the month before spring planting,
approximately April 15-May 15, but that is enough. I suppose one could
have the compost pile in the kitchen pen, and get free turning and
some nitrogenization.