Author Topic: Garlic or Chicken question? (Read 4485 times)

The Relic · « **on:** April 01, 2009, 12:03:03 pm »

Hi not to sure so ill post in both. I have some garlic growing about 4 months with most seeming to be doing well. I was reading that some growers cut the scape off and some leave on with seems to arise some discussion in the garlic world. i have mine fenced off from my chickens (7) but i could use the fencing elsewhere so my question is is it such a bad thing if my chickens munch on the scape. they have been amongst the garlic a few time and dont seem to have much interest, nibbling just a little.

ps just thinking the little buggers will probably dig them all up looking for critters

loopy · « **Reply #1 on:** April 01, 2009, 12:24:49 pm »

no idea about letting them eat it, but i have chickens and lots of garlic and onions and shallots growing, and the chickens got into my raised bed area friday afternoon, and whilst they didn't eat much, they made a heck of a mess of the beds digging the soil, turfed loads of soil onto the gravel, dug up onions, and i came back to onions upside down, on the ground, a big mess....and one that they won't be getting opportunity to repeat as it's now temporarily fenced off!!

I now intend to create a sort of "play pen" so that they can leave their run in the daytime, access the grass, but not access the raised beds....if anyone has any suggestion on how to construct such a thing - to be easy to move, yet stable enough to withstand bad winds, and yet not look like too much of an eyesore or damage the ground underneath it too much i'd be grateful for ideas

sellickbhoy · « **Reply #2 on:** April 01, 2009, 12:55:47 pm »

what sort of size you looking for loopy?

you can buy that metal mesh/security fencing for about £20 for a 3m length., so a few of them to make a square would be fine - reasonably easy to move too.

or you could just buy some of that cheap chicken wire and make a frame from some timber. as you are only using it to keep chickens in and on the grass - and not to keep foxes out - then it would be cheap and easy to do.

loopy · « **Reply #3 on:** April 01, 2009, 03:06:16 pm »

i've actually got virtually a whole roll of unused chicken wire - but if i construct panels, i'm not sure how to make them so that they don't blow over but don't damage the lawn (which has already suffered enough over the last 6 months)....sorry for being thick but how would you build them? and would you do as individual separate panels, or try to hinge them together or what?

thanks L

sellickbhoy · « **Reply #4 on:** April 01, 2009, 03:37:52 pm »

you making a moveable play pen or will it be permanent?

loopy · « **Reply #5 on:** April 01, 2009, 03:54:23 pm »

ideally one that can be moved - as it'll be a bit of an eyesore however it's done- so want to be able to move it when i have BBQ's and for cutting the lawn and so on

sellickbhoy · « **Reply #6 on:** April 02, 2009, 10:21:22 am »

Hi Loopy

well, i'm thinking about moving some of the mesh security fencing - heras fencing I believe it's called (or maybe harris) - sort of like this stuff - http://www.tempfence.co.uk/fencing.htm you can get it for about £20 a panel (including the clips to secure it to the next panel and one of the feet to stand it in.

however, in the spirit of DIY, i'd be tempted to build them myself.

you could get a load of pallets and just stand them on their end. a healthy bit of rope securing them all together - although it wouldn't hurt to actually fix them together using a bit of wood screwed into adjoining pallets.and at the corners you could put a brace across the 2 adjoining pallets and secure them using screws - this will stop them falling in/out.

but pallets are quite heavy and would be a chore to move that lot around.

so, i'd build a simple rectangular wooden frame out of 3" by 2" lengths of wood. Chicken wire normally comes in 900mm lengths (3') so i'd get 3 8' lengths of wood. leave 2 intact and cut the last one into 2 3' lengths and 2 1' lengths

screw the 2 8' pieces and 2 3' pieces together to make a rectangle - 8' by 3'

lie it on the floor and then secure the chicken wire over it

then make 2 feet for the panel - using the 2 1' lengths, secure them at 90 degrees to one of the longer lengths (to be honest, it might be better to make these wider)

anyway, make as many panels as you want/need

then arrange them in the garden around where you want the chooks to run.

I'd still suggest a wee bit of rope to secure the panels to the next one - or even those cool plastic tie wrap things that i have 101 uses for!!

Wellieboots · « **Reply #7 on:** April 02, 2009, 06:32:29 pm »

Don't know if it helps but all of my garlic (bar ohhh 20 odds cloves that are in containers!) is available to my chooks & they have left it well alone. All I can add is that mine (Black Rocks) haven't even bothered to try the leaves so I assume that they can smell them & think "nahh this aint for me".

Rumpleteazer · « **Reply #8 on:** April 08, 2009, 05:05:44 pm »

Mine were only interested when I first planted them when they dig up some of the cloves a couple of times. After that they lost interest. My chickens only show any interest in the veg plot when I have been digging it over, and then they all suddenly appear on the look out for worms and bugs!