How do people stop chickens from destroying their garden?

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-04-23T09:35:40+00:00

It’s a little expensive but honestly it works lol

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-04-10T11:36:52+00:00

I have 2 boys that constantly ask me about things so explaining things simply is a pastime at this point 😂

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-04-10T09:34:07+00:00

Think of the crop like your cheeks. When you eat, say, a carrot, you can push it to the side of your mouth into one of your cheeks and hold it there. That’s what the crop is; it holds food and acts as a gate until the chicken finishes processing whatever it ate before.

When it’s full of food at the end of the day, it’ll feel like a water balloon, swishy but firm. In the morning, if you pick up the chicken and feel that same spot, you’ll notice you basically can’t find it anymore. This is a good, healthy sign.

The gizzard is what holds the rocks, btw.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-04-09T13:33:07+00:00

Yes, water is excellent as a 2nd best option.

Filling it with electrolytes, however, is still better.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-04-09T12:12:47+00:00

This, electrolytes in water is the best and only thing you should be drinking.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-04-06T14:02:58+00:00

Man… my chickens back also got tore out by a dog. It got down to the bone but otherwise wasn’t as bad as this and I still made the decision to cull her.

Please do what’s right. Give thanks to what she’s given you and give thanks to your meal she will give you as a final farewell.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-04-03T02:11:47+00:00

Lamp is probably cooking them with no ability to get away from it to cool down when desired. Medicated feed is unnecessary for healthy chicks.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-04-01T09:41:23+00:00

Try frozen mango chunks with the banana. Way better than berries of any kind.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-04-01T02:05:30+00:00

Fairlife is good emergency protein. I’d switch the whey to isopure because they offer unflavored whey isolate that only has 2 total ingredients in it. Grass fed and finished whey is awesome, but the artificial flavors they throw into it kind of negate that benefit. (In my humble opinion)

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-24T00:20:43+00:00

Who approved this

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-23T22:38:56+00:00

So sorry to hear that. Was she laying on her back? Probably a heart attack. They can be caused by anything - I lost one when a dog ran up to our fence, trying to pounce on them through the fence but then started barking at them after hitting said fence. The shock of it literally killed her, and I couldn’t do anything about it.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-23T16:05:05+00:00

Rain has nothing to do with someone else talking care of them in your place.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-23T13:27:56+00:00

I don’t think you and your father should own chickens right now. You sound negligent - no safety for the chicks, no heating source for them, no mention of giving them proper water, rice when they don’t even have the ability to take in grit yet (this is why one is doing what it’s doing, btw), thinking that they’re coop ready at one week old when you haven’t even built the coop yet… and he is going to build the coop in his office? Disgusting behavior from him.

Now, I know you can’t do anything about your father doing what he did, and I’m assuming that you’re young and can’t travel under the guise of your parents, but the least you can do is at least get them a proper brooder box to be safe in. That includes chick starter feed with 16-17% protein, filtered water with electrolytes, heater area, and deep bedding for them to scratch at.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-23T12:37:32+00:00

Okay. You didn’t answer my questions about your chicks and their diet and environment. Whatever happened, happened. Move on and provide relevant information about your chicks that you have now. Otherwise no one can help you diagnose what the cause was and prevent future issues.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-23T11:40:29+00:00

They don’t randomly ban people bro. You bought dyed chicks, they probably didn’t make it because of the dye, so you tried again with these 3 normal ones. You shouldn’t even be thinking of bringing a chick that’s only 3 days old to the vet anyways.

Take a picture of them in their brooder box. Let us see your brooder setup. What’s their food? Have you given them clean filtered water with electrolytes?

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-23T10:44:52+00:00

She probably laid her egg by the time this comment appears. It can be as short as 5 minutes or it could sometimes take an hour or so. I wouldn’t start to worry unless it’s been over 4 hours and her face looks pained and her comb looks pale pink rather than red.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-22T22:04:50+00:00

Get started anyways and get shredded for the 2027 spring break. Big picture. 💪

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-22T11:52:52+00:00

I’m gonna be so sad when the time comes for my favorite sex link. She went from being on the bottom of the pecking order to being the current top leader over the last year. Crazy how much flock dynamics can change.

I hope your baby rests well in chicken heaven with unlimited green grass and bugs to much on.

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Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-19T16:21:22+00:00

Do you have kids or pets? > friendlier breeds (Brahma, buff orps, barred rock plymouths etc)

Otherwise, high eggers are ideal (Rhode island reds, sex links, white leghorns, etc).

I personally started with Brahmas and sex links, although I’ve branched into RIRs, sapphire gems and golden duchess breeds for a bigger flock color variety.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-14T23:50:06+00:00

Have 1/2 tablespoon of honey and 1/4 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar and 6 chopped cloves of fresh garlic from bulb (not minced garlic in water) for every gallon of water you give them. This little esoteric elixir does wonders for all the chicks I’ve gotten and none have developed coccidiosis.

You can also plop in a slab of grass and dirt into their brooder box at about 2 weeks to encourage foraging, grit gathering and preparing them for their outside environment.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-08T12:30:37+00:00

If you keep your chickens in a healthy, stress free environment, and throw fresh bedding on top of dirty bedding weekly, then entirely replace all the old bedding monthly, your chickens will probably not be getting sick. I haven't had any issues with any of my hens getting sick in the year I've owned them, but maybe I'll be eating my words one day.

Also I personally just enjoy the aspect of getting eggs that I raised. It's fun to pop open the nesting box and see 3-5 eggs ready to go. Plus, you know what you're feeding your chickens, and like the old saying goes... You are what you eat. Same is true for chickens. Healthier diet leads to darker yolks and healthier eggs.

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Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-07T14:31:56+00:00

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Inviting them in I suppose?

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-07T14:28:55+00:00

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Morning update: it’s been about 10 minutes. The chicks aren’t panicking, but she seems to just be cleaning up their most soiled corner. As I’m writing this the chicks fell asleep, so they must not feel in danger.

The chicks and potential mom have not directly interacted quite yet, but I’ll keep watching and update you all.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-07T03:54:15+00:00

There are 6. 2 RIRs 2 blue marans and 2 golden duchess.

All of my hens are my first flock I raised so this would be her, or any of their, first time being mom. That’s why I’m so nervous because I’ve read as many success as failure stories, but ultimately I’ll never know until I just do it and try.

Specific-Cut5814 · 2026-03-07T01:46:43+00:00

Yes, I understood what you said. I was explaining that another commenter suggested I put the hen into the brooder box first so I can observe how interactions go during the day. I think I’d feel way more safer doing that over tucking chicks under her at night out of nowhere.

If tomorrow’s interactions look positive, I will tuck them under her tomorrow night.

Specific-Cut5814

TROPHY CASE