The mornings are cooling off here in Minnesota, but afternoons still warm up. Cicadas are singing, and the sunsets are stunning. It’s also that time of year when our garden is overflowing with fresh produce! BLTs, green beans, and more—our garden has been thriving, and it’s been a joy for the whole family.
Growing Up with a Garden
I grew up surrounded by family who gardened. My childhood memories are full of eating fresh food from the garden—snap peas until our stomachs hurt—and, yes, pulling weeds for what felt like hours. Now, my husband and I are passing that love of gardening to our kids, helping them understand the importance of growing and harvesting our own food. Fresh produce straight from the garden is about as natural as it gets, and chickens have become a big part of our garden’s success.
Chickens: A Help or a Hindrance in the Garden?
Chickens and gardens can be a perfect pair—or a recipe for disaster. Chickens love to scratch, dig, and eat seeds, so if you don’t keep an eye on them, they might uproot your plants. When I’m weeding, I usually let one or two chickens out to roam with me so I can monitor them closely. They love being part of the action, but keeping them in check is key to protecting your garden.
Garden Boxes and Chicken Compost: A Winning Combination
Last year, my husband and daughter built two beautiful garden boxes, right next to the chicken coop. We filled them with rich black dirt and chicken compost, and the results have been amazing—our tomatoes have never been this tall!
Using the deep litter method and chicken poop as compost is a fantastic way to enrich your garden soil, but remember to let the compost break down first.
Fresh chicken manure (also called “hot” manure) can burn your plants. Once it has decomposed, you can use it to fertilize your garden throughout the season. To accelerate this process, use Coop to Garden. It can breakdown chicken litter 2x faster.
Plants in the Garden That Are Safe for Chickens
You’ll quickly learn that chickens love many of the same garden produce you do. My chickens go crazy for cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, watermelons and squash. Tossing a few ripe tomatoes into the chicken run makes them so happy—but be careful with what you share.
Plants That Are Toxic for Chickens in the Garden
Not all plants are safe for chickens. Green tomatoes and potatoes contain toxins that are dangerous to your flock. The toxins, called solanine and chaconine, are found in the peel, flesh and sprouts of green tomatoes and potatoes. Avoid feeding these to your chickens, along with onions, which can also be harmful. While chickens are generally good at avoiding what’s bad for them, it’s important to educate yourself on what foods are toxic and what are safe for your flock.
Eggs and Gardens: The Perfect Match
Did you know that chickens can help your garden in more ways than one? Providing your flock with Chicken E-Lixir will help them lay calcium-rich eggs. And once those eggs are consumed, you can crush the eggshells and sprinkle them in your garden to boost your plants’ calcium levels. It’s a win-win for both your chickens and your garden!
Small-Scale Gardening
Gardening doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I used to spend 10–12 hours a day managing our CSA gardening shares, high tunnels, and two-acre garden, and it was exhausting. Now, we’ve scaled back, growing just what we need, and I’ve rediscovered the joy of gardening. Honestly, though, I’m not sure if it’s the gardening I love or the extra time I get to spend out there with my chickens!
Until next time,
-The Wing Lady
Coop to Garden - Compost Chicken Manure Faster
Coop to Garden is an organic fast-acting compost accelerator specially designed to break down chicken litter in your compost. It contains lemon and lime essential oils, probiotics and patented ingredients to accelerate the recycling of waste. It is effective in a wide range of temperatures and for use in all compost applications.
Chicken E-lixir - Daily Vitamin for Chickens Chicken E-lixir is added to drinking water as a daily vitamin for keeping chickens healthy by promoting digestive health. For everyday use, it contains a unique blend of organic oregano essential oil, prebiotics, calcium, vitamins D & E and electrolytes.