The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: AndynJ on March 24, 2014, 02:05:03 pm
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I thought I might use a small Devon bank to grow squashes on and courgette at the bases, will rabbits/chickens eat either, neither or both ?
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A chicken wire fence round the bed will protect them I think my chickens would definitely investigate if they were given the chance... (but they aren't).
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my free range hens never bothered with the courgettes, it was the onions they dug up all the time to get to the worms underneath.
I love courgettes :yum: :yum:
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Hens and ducks love courgettes when they're small (the courgettes that is) and so do mice. I haven't noticed them being so keen on squashes for some reason.
I'm addicted to growing squashes :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: :squash: even though we don't eat all that many.
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My :chook: :chook: absolutely decimated the courgettes and squashes last year - even full sized :squash: >:( . They have grown well on our Dorset bank but need to be well protected from the hens at all times. Young plants stand absolutely no chance. The price of truly free range hens ::)
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Thanks for the replies, I had dug a 50 sq metre veg patch started planting yesterday and it's 60% full so I was just thinking of things that take up a lot of room and wondered if I could get away without digging and fencing, your replies mean dig & fence. digging is ok, raking is satisfying, I have posts just short of wire or netting.
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Doesn't need to be tall fencing (depending on the variety of chicken of course). I have my pumpkin/asparagus patch right in the middle of our poultry run. I've just put posts round it with chicken wire that's about 60cm high (I can step over it but the chickens and ducks can't). Actually having said chicken wire, I lie - last year I used chicken wire and it went baggy and the ducks broke in so then I replaced it with weld mesh which stays tight better and has kept them out.