My problem is weed control, of course, and I need to define the bed borders. I also keep free range chickens who make a big mess of tanbark or any other lightweight mulch! They take dust baths every afternoon and dig holes in the mulch and toss it out into the grass.

I need ideas for mulching materials that are inexpensive (since I have so much ground to cover) will help control weeds and would be difficult for the chickens to make a mess!

Here's an idea off the top of my head... pea gravel comes to mind, as it's attractive and pretty heavy. Obviously it's not very weed proof, but laying down a sheet of black garden fabric or even plastic would keep weeds down and moisture levels up.

I know you have an extensive garden, but would placing fake snakes in certain areas help? To keep them away? Wait... that sounds kind of mean though. :P

I tractor the birds now in the summer, although I do let them out to Totally Destroy my yard in the fall. I may try ducks next. I've heard they're gentle on gardens and hard on slugs.

I think part of the reason they are less destructive is because I always leave the coop door open and the tube feeder is constantly full, so they aren't ravenous when they are let outside! Or maybe its the breed??

I was thinking of rubber edging and a heavier 3/4 inch landscape stone that would be harder for them to kick around and if they do, I can always rake it back into place.

I guess I should be grateful that I've got such good girls! They seem like they are doing more good than harm compared to some!

They don't really uproot established perennials. They dig all around their bases, leaving the root-exposed plant sitting up in the air on its crown. Any newly planted seedling is uprooted and replanted at least six times before I either give up or wrap chicken wire around the plants.

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Composter+Chickens.html
The Lazy Gardener’s Compost Heap

(From a reader): Connected to our six-hen flock’s coop is an 8x4-ft run completely surrounded by 2x4-inch welded wire. (This includes the floor of the run, to exclude digging predators.) In this run we put everything that gets weeded from the garden, thinnings, some leaves, ears of corn that have been molested by raccoons, grass clippings, kitchen wastes—you get the idea. After each layer, I scatter oyster shell. Our hens stay very entertained digging through their sometimes three-foot-deep pile of goodies. The worms and bugs come naturally…About once every month we transfer our new fertile soil to the regular compost pile. Our garden loves it. I love not stirring or messing with the compost pile. Our yolks are school-bus orange-yellow and delicious. ~Nancy Muller, Dalton, Pennsylvania

One is a chicken moat. This is usually along mesh tunnel installed around the inside of a perimeter fence, and can be about three feet wide. It gives them room to run, and they destroy all the running grass and weeds that creep over from the neighbors' places.

The other is movable electrical netting. This is very useful for the larger breeds of chickens that aren't much on flying, and it keeps mammal-type (and marsupial) predators out, although not hawks. I believe there are also solar chargers for them.

The only mulch that will work with them is large rocks, weighing at least half a pound each, or galvanized chicken wire covered with a think layer of mulch. They aren't crazy about scratching in wire mesh.

Sue