Garden hen can eat pests

Some say gardening is for the birds and they might just be right. A couple of large birds, that is: chickens and ducks.

Since a friend e-mailed a week or so ago with a comment about her chickens, I have had the nagging thought that a “garden chicken” might just be a good idea. A “garden duck” might be an even better idea yet. My friend wrote: “We built a chicken yard today. The hens and a rooster have enjoyed pecking all around since the snow’s departure, but I must protect the community gardens from their scratching.”

You might wonder why the thought of a garden chicken tantalizes me so when their scratching has the potential to be so destructive. Well, the fact is that before chickens became domesticated, they made their living on the ground finding naturally abundant food, such as worms, insects, seeds and small weeds. True, their feet are four-toed and designed for scratching the ground in hopes of turning up a tasty morsel. But their propensity to eat what gardeners think of as undesirable pests might just have some benefits. I suppose, though, that a chicken wouldn’t discern between a destructive insect or plant and a beneficial one, and this might have a downside.

From a gardener’s perspective, ducks might have certain advantages over chickens. With webbed feet, they aren’t so apt to destroy garden beds with their scratching. In addition, ducks hold great promise as slug-eaters. A gardener might lay out boards alongside their garden crops and in the early-morning hours slugs and certain insects would flock toward that shelter. I can picture it now: Call your duck on over, flip the board up, and voila, breakfast! No chemicals, no hassle. Ecologically sound pest control!

You wouldn’t want a whole gaggle of birds in your garden, but how bad could one or two chickens or ducks be? However gender biased it might be, you probably wouldn’t want a male bird as a pet. When I was a kid, we had a flock of chickens and I remember being deathly – and I mean deathly – afraid of feeding them and fetching their eggs because the rooster was so nasty. He was a beautiful Rhode Island red, but he protected his hens fiercely and if that meant he had to scare you to death to do it, he would. Yes, if you want a garden chicken, it would be best to procure a hen.

I suppose if I had a garden bird I’d worry about it at night. Ground predators might find my chicken or duck a succulent meal. Since they’re built for living on the ground, chickens have large, heavy bodies and short wings. They’re only capable of flying short distances. The legs of ducks are far apart and toward the rear of their body. This feature makes them rather awkward walkers, but excellent and efficient swimmers. Both chickens and ducks would require shelter at night, for certain. And that prospect pushes the whole endeavor up a few notches in the level of commitment needed for a garden bird.

OK, so the thought of a garden chicken or duck is a bit absurd. I suppose those who enjoy gardening barefoot might even consider the idea of stepping in bird droppings nothing short of repulsive. But if we’re interested in alternative pest controls, we must consider every option, however outrageous or foul.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, RR1, Box 2120, Montville 04941, or e-mail them to dianagc@ctel.net. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.