Chicken breeders or Folks in South Africa?

[hedz82]

I'm near Hillcrest in KZN and I have big beautiful lazy Buff Orpingtons!
I've been trying to find out if indigenous garden bird attracting bushes would be safe for chickens? I'm thinking of berry producing bushes ( like Cross berry) that they could eat, and maybe some Cape Honeysuckle? Surely if they're safe for birds they would be OK for chickens?

Hi Spunky1, I have two pet hens who are like my children and a tiny garden, and am also obsessed with attracting wildlife. My chooks actually seem to eat anything, but depending on their appetite. They don't touch the Plectranthus for a year, and then one day I get home and its completely gone. very interesting indeed. But I have never had any issues with poisoning. The only thing I would stay away are Euphorbias. My hens keep my Cape honeysuckle trimmed above knee height, and sometimes they also eat the Plumbago auriculata. The stinky Plectranthus is really a mystery to me why they would want to eat that!
Some really great bird plants we get here in the Cape are: Halleria lucida, Grewia flavescens (apparently the birds go nuts for the berries, even more so than G. occidentalis), Psychotria capensis, Ochna serrulata, Syzigium cordatum, Myrsine africana, Ehretia rigida, Rhamnus prinoides,Ziziphus mucronata, Pappea capensis, Trichilia emetica, and the Strelitzias, Acacias, Carissas, Searsias, Aloes, and many more. You just have to check what grows up where you are. The chooks will eat the berries that fall on the floor too.
A fantastic book to get is "Attracting birds to your garden in Southern Africa: by Roy Trendler and Lex Hes.
Good luck!

 

[Spunky1]

Hedz82, I also have two hens and a sweet rooster who's actually just a big feathery teddy bear! And all definitely more pets than chickens

Interesting what you say about the Grewia flavescens, I'll look into that, and there are several others you mention that grow here too. I also have a Plumbago that grows on the fence but they've never tried it.

I had wondered about gooseberries too. At least good to know they grow in this area. I suppose if the chickens don't want them I could always eat them!

 

[G8G Chickens]

Hi

 

[Carin]

From where are you?

 

[hedz82]

Hey Spunky1, I had goose berries before, but found them to be a bit of an anti-climax. They seem quite invasive, and not from here (even though they are called Cape Gooseberries, they are from America) and the birds can't eat the berries as long as they are in those papery pods. And then they always ripen like one at a time, so not much fun for a harvest...but you must definitely get some Carissa edulis! they grow fairly slowly (maybe faster in your climate, and with more sun), but are extremely waterwise and their berries are delicious!

 

[Spunky1]

Hi Carin
I'm in Waterfall in KZN

 

[IrfaanGP]

Hey guys,

Starting a small hatchery,

and am looking for breeders who will sell their fertile eggs,

Please email me your breed and price per egg such that I can add you to my supplier database,

Thanking you,

Happy chooking,

Regards,
Irfaan Hassan
Hassan's Hatchery
[email protected]

 

[ChickyChickens]

Goodafternoon all,
I am selling an incubator that does 36 eggs on each tray and it takes 2 trays. if there is anyone that needs one, pop me a PM and we can chat about it

 

[Genadendal]

Hi everyone. Im from bredasdorp in the overberg. We recently got some silkies. Im looking for silkie breeders close to here or in the western cape?

 

[Genadendal]

I've recently aquired some silkies. At the moment housing them with my other chickens. Do you think it's a good idea?