Mischievous Chickens Caught in the Act

We were truly excited to attempt to grow our own hops this summer. We got three different varieties of hops rhizomes and planted them in the spring. Since then, the area around where they were planted has become a home to raised beds and the chickens.

We laid down a considerable amount of woodchips around the raised beds to hinder growth of weeds in and around the beds. But now that the chickens are "free ranging" they love to scratch up the woodchips and unearth bugs and creepy crawlies underneath. I was surprised that the netting around the beds is enough to keep out the hungry beaks, but it didn't even occur to me that they might get into the unprotected hops...

I had only just put up twine for the baby hops bines emerging from the ground, and the very next day there was only a hole left where I planted them. Who would do such a thing?!

I caught them the other day in the act, scratching away at the hops that never were. How could I be so naive to think they wouldn't demolish them unprotected? Oh well, there's always next year. Naughty naughty chickens.