Blue berries in coop.

[Charleybeth]

Hey guys, I'm a first time chick owner and have two questions.

1. I am wanting to move my chicks from one coop to a newly built one, that does not have much shade, and I want to add blue berry trees close enough that the berries will drop in the coop (not on purpose or design, only space for my berry trees). I figured the trees will help with the shade problem. Will and/or can it hurt them to have berries drop into the coop? Do they know how to not over eat on berries?


2. Each coop has three 5 gallon waterers. One in the coop and two in the run. I have three coops. I clean the waterers out everyday at most two days. Will collected rain water in one waterer hurt my chickens?

Thanks in advance

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Wow! That's a lot of water! How many chickens do you have? I only have 11 adults and three 7 week old chicks and they hardly drink any water.

 

[LizzzyJo]

As far as rain water goes, that’s just fine as long as it is a clean waterer and still changed frequently.

For the blueberries I have a few questions. First of all, most blueberry types that I know of grow in bushes, not trees, so wouldn’t provide much shade. You must be thinking of a rare type?

Chickens do love berries, but moderation is the key in everything. How many chickens do you have for each bush/ tree.

While I love blueberries (and grow them myself) they are soooo messy and stain everything they touch. The bird poop will be black and stain everything. Fair warning.

 

[IamRainey]

Right, LizzyJo. There's no such thing as a blueberry tree. And the blueberries don't fall from the bushes. They simply shrivel up on the branch.

 

[Charleybeth]

Wow! That's a lot of water! How many chickens do you have? I only have 11 adults and three 7 week old chicks and they hardly drink any water.

I have a total of 11 chickens, most are rescues and two disabled hens ( cant move fast very far). Along with a huge run. Last week we were in the 100's in temp. I want them to have access to water at anytime they want or need it. I don't think that much water is necessary but it makes me feel better that they have it.

 

[Manhen]

I have a total of 11 chickens, most are rescues and two disabled hens ( cant move fast very far). Along with a huge run. Last week we were in the 100's in temp. I want them to have access to water at anytime they want or need it. I don't think that much water is necessary but it makes me feel better that they have it.

Will you adopt me?

 

[Charleybeth]

As far as rain water goes, that’s just fine as long as it is a clean waterer and still changed frequently.

For the blueberries I have a few questions. First of all, most blueberry types that I know of grow in bushes, not trees, so wouldn’t provide much shade. You must be thinking of a rare type?

Chickens do love berries, but moderation is the key in everything. How many chickens do you have for each bush/ tree.

While I love blueberries (and grow them myself) they are soooo messy and stain everything they touch. The bird poop will be black and stain everything. Fair warning.

Thanks for your response. This particular blueberry tree/bush only grows to be 6 to 8 feet tall and only about 3 feet wide. I will have two trees/bushes in front on each coop. Each coop will only have a max of 20 birds, but if there is doubt I'll do with out them.

 

[Charleybeth]

Right, LizzyJo. There's no such thing as a blueberry tree. And the blueberries don't fall from the bushes. They simply shrivel up on the branch.

Fair enough, this particular bush/tree is called a southern blueberry high bush. It only grows to be about 6-8 feet tall.

 

[paintedChix]

I know that I am slowly, purposely planting fruit and veggies around my chicken pens and in garden beds bordering our back yard. Blue berries, pomegranate trees (stay small -ish, can be pruned & bush out nicely), raspberries on the back yard fence. Watermelon, cantaloupe & honey dew melon, hardy kiwi, looking for american beauty berry. Annual veggies that both bush & vine - beans, peas, squash & zucchini - for them as much as for us. tomatoes, cukes, lettuces, spinach, comfrey. Herbs.... A lot of these are going in tire planters, along the pens' fencing. Blocks sun, wind, rain, snow. We'll see how it goes. Sun flowers, marigolds, nasturtium, cone flowers - sure there will be more.

I don't really know of any actual fruit that chickens can't eat (other than citrus - but mine will compost it if I toss it in their pens/runs).

Just so you know, I'm only just getting started with gardening. I did plant a bunch of veggie plants in the front yard - along with 3 baby trees (so far). We will eventually have a "food forest" in both our front yard (meant more for us, family & friends) and in the back yard (meant more for the chickens). We also got fruit trees planted in the pony pasture, around our round pen where we work the ponies. The goal - to not only have fruit, but to also have sun/wind block. Also, the trees themselves & the swales/berms they are planted in will help (hopefully) to stop water that runs across our property during major rain events... slowing and spreading it, rather than having it drain away - eroding and tearing up the property as it goes. looking to get some nitrogen fixing shrubs that also have fruit that should also help with holding the sand against the flowing water during storms and help with building our straight sand pastures into something that will grow a lush mix of grasses & fodder for the ponies & chickens (& other livestock in future?). Didn't mention any other berries or nut trees - got a very small harvest of black berries from 4 new plants this year.

The four blueberry bushes (not sure which variety?) were ripped out by a wind storm just 48 hours after I planted them. I found them uprooted w/ their roots drying when I got home from work. It's been surprising to watch the handful of blueberries ripening. There is new growth on all four this week. Hope to have more each year. Haven't managed to get strawberries yet. Everyone tells me they are so easy - I've managed to kill quite a number of them - 3 years in a row so far. The chickens LOVE strawberries when I do have them. I have seen our birds jump up and snag berries off the bushes.

 

[IamRainey]

That sounds like an ambitious and a fabulous plan. I'm sure you AND your birds will enjoy all the bounty.

If you're just a beginning gardener -- I am too after 35 years of having my own planting ground -- there's a wonderful British gardener named Monty Don who does a great job of explaining the principles of design and the basics of planting. His Big Dreams Small Spaces series on Netflicks (and possibly a bit on YouTube) may be just what covers some of the issues you'll be dealing with.