Gardening with free-range chickens for dummies

Learn to:

• Create a gorgeous chicken￾íriendly landscape

• Raise plants beneíicial to you

and your chickens

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| : LIỆU ' age pests and predators

i n i e J o M a n ỉ o n

nviiẨH Science B.s. Degree

PopularGarden VVriter & Speaker

R o b L u d lo v v

Owner BackYardChickens.com

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nd out"HOW"at Dummies.com

Bonnie Jo Manion and Rob

G ardening w ith Free-Range C hỉckens For Dummies*

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Library of C ongress Control Number: 2012954758

ISBN 978-1-118-54754-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-61264-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-61272-9 (ebk);

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M anuíactured in the United States of America

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Abơut the Authors

B onnie J o M anion is a garden w riter, speaker, and photographer out

of C o a s t a l N orth San Diego County. She has been com bining her love of

gardening and h e r joy for chickens for m ore than a decade.

Iníluenced by h e r travels and tim e spent lỉvỉng abroad, she em bodies a

unique Southern France tvvist on the Southern Caliỉornia lỉíestyle through

artíul seasonal livỉng in her cooking, gardening, and vvriting.

Bonnie and h e r husband, John, transíorm ed w hat once w as a neglected acre

of land into a beautiíul and bountỉíul petite Provence, com plete with a flock

of spoiled chỉckens, an orchard, a potager, a vỉneyard, and avvard-vvinning

vvỉnes.

Bonnie has been íeatured in national garden m agazines for her gardens,

organỉc practices, chickens, and vintage C o n t a i n e r designs. Follow Bonnie at

her garden lỉíestyle blog, www. V in ta g e G a rd e n G a l. com.

Bonnie has an Avian Science B.s. degree írom C olorado State University and is

the Southern Caliíornia Regional Garden C ontributor for L ow es. com /S oC al.

R ob Ludlow, his wife Emily, and their tw o vvonderíul daughters Alana and

April are the p e ríect exam ple of th e suburban íamily w ith a sm all garden

and ílock of backyard chickens. Combinỉng gardening and raising chickens

seem ed to be a natural and períect idea!

Rob ovvns and m anages www. B a c k Y a rd C h ic k e n s . com (BYC), th e largest

and íastest grow ing com m unity of chicken e n th u siasts in the vvorld. His love

of gardening also inspired him to create www. T h e E a s y G a rd e n . com to share

his passion and love of gardening vvith others.

Rob is th e c o au th o r of th e books Raising Chickens For Dummies, Building

Chicken Coops For D ummies, and Chicken Health For Dummies.

bedication

From Bonnỉe: To my loving husband, John, who knows, “VVhich cam e first,

th e chickens or th e vines?”

Authors’ Acknouìỉedạments

From B onnie: Many t h a n k s to my m any supportive íriends and íamily,

especially my p arents, Lon and Isabelle Bechtold. A huge “thank y ou” to

the John Wỉley & Sons íamily, for their help and sup p o rt on this project.

Thank you to my loyal readers of www. V in ta g e G a rd e n G a l. com, íor your

enthusiasm , kind vvords, and sharing your love of gardening and chickens.

From Rob: A huge “THANK YOU!” to th e tho u san d s of contributing m em bers

of B a c k Y a rd C h ic k e n s . com and T h e E a s y G a rd e n . com. T heỉr love of

chickens and gardening continues to be iníectious aíte r all th e se years! Also,

a ton of appreciation goes out to the great team at VVỈley for all their amazing

assistance ỉn helping to m ake thỉs book a reality!

r

P u b lish e r’* A cknovvledgm ents

W e're p ro u d of th is book; p lea se se n d u s y o u r c o m m en ts at h t t p : / /d u rru n ie s . c u s t h e l p . com.

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Layout and Graphics: C arrie A. C esavice,

Joyce Haughey, Ron Wise

P ro o íre a d e re : John G reenough, Je ssic a K ram er

In d e x e r Ty Koontz

Special Art

O rỉgỉnal Concept lllustrations:

Bonnie Jo M anion

Photography: Bonnie Jo M anion

Illustrators: K athryn Born, B arbara Frake

Contents at a Glance

ìntroduction........................................................................... 7

Part 1: Gettinạ Started u/ith Gardeninạ and Chickens...... 7

C hapter 1: Joining Forces: Com panion G ardening vvith C hickens................................. 9

C hapter 2: Preparing Your Garden for C hickens.............................................................. 33

C hapter 3: Preparing Yourselí and Your Family for C hickens......................................63

C hapter 4: Creating Y our Space for Free-Range C hỉckens..............................................83

Part 11: ùesiạninạ a Chicken-Friend(ụ Garden............. 101

C hapter 5: Creating a Safe and Sm art Garden Space: Landscape Material Ideas.... 103

C hapter 6: From Garden to Pasture: P eríect Plantings for All Your N eeds............ 125

C hapter 7: Grovving Good Eats for Chickens and People..............................................147

C hapter 8: From Lawns to Poisonous Plants-. O ther Landscape C onsiderations.... 165

Part 111: Chicken Care: ĩendinạ to ị/our Flock.............. 181

C hapter 9: Knovv Thy Flock: U nderstanding Chicken B ehaviors..................................183

C hapter 10: Caring for Chỉckens: P redators, Sickness, ỉnjury, and D eath.................199

Part íư: ĩhe Part of Tens................................................221

C hapter 11: Ten Common Chicken Problem s Solved...................................................... 223

C hapter 12: Ten Beneíìcial Tools and Aids to H ave.........................................................229

C hapter 13: Ten Ways to Get Really Fancy......................................................................... 237

lnde/e................................................................................ 2íị5

Table of Contents

Introduction........................................................................... 7

About This B ook...........................................................................................................1

C onventions Used in This Book..............................................................................2

W hat You’re Not to R ead.......................................................................................... 2

Foolish A ssum ptỉons.................................................................................................. 2

How Thỉs Book Is O rganỉzed....................................................................................3

Part I: Gettỉng Started vvith G ardening and C hickens............................3

Part II: Desỉgning a Chicken-Frỉendly G arden .......................................... 3

Part III: Chicken Care: Tending to Your Flock.........................................4

Part IV: The Part of T en s................................................................................ 4

Icons Used in This B ook........................................................................................... 4

VVhere to Go from H ere..............................................................................................5

Part I: Gettinạ Started u/ith Gardeninạ and Chickens...... 7

Chapter 1: Joining Forces: Companion Gardening with Chickens____9

Getting Down to th e R oots w ith Keeping C h ick en s.......................................10

Looking at th e evolution of g ard enin g.................................................... 10

W orking tovvard growing your own fo od ................................................ 12

Checking on the tren d of ovvning c h ic k en s........................................... 12

Deíìning the Free-Range C o n c e p t.........................................................................13

T he p rocess oí free-ranging.........................................................................13

Free-range m ethods to ch oose fro m ........................................................15

T here’s No Beef A bout C hickens..........................................................................16

C ategorỉzing chicken b re e d s...................................................................... 16

Helping gardens to ílo u rish ........................................................................ 20

Chickens as pest and w eed po lice............................................................ 21

Creating Sustainability in Your Own B acky ard.............................................. 22

M anure m anagem ent, recycling, and com posting...............................24

Every egg is golden........................................................................................ 29

Having Fun vvith Style and S tru cture................................................................... 31

Chapter 2: Preparing Your Garden for C h icke n s.....................................33

Plannỉng Your Flock.................................................................................................34

The right breeds for your n e e d s............................................................... 34

Flock size does m atter.................................................................................. 40

Got space?.........................................................................................................40