Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Hola Chaco.

But she’s not Hispanic. Do you speak German? Previous owners were German.

 

[featherhead007]

Oh never admit that

I am always behind, now I start at the end and work my way backwards, and hope I don't miss a msg from anyone (sorry people if I haven't answered you back ).

If I happen upon a msg to me I answer, when I see something awesome (which is almost everything), I back track (like I did with this msg!) and see whats up

Yep, that’s the trick I use too!

 

[Ponypoor]

There is a video online - after a terrible hawk attack that pinned his bird against the fencing, this guy did just that - using aviary netting - it is similar to fishnet, very strong - cutting slits to go around his trees, and tying it / weaving in line to hold it together on the other side of each tree. The trees had an advantage of being built-in poles/posts for the netting, but he did extend his fence posts too.

That's what I need to do with my trees.

 

[featherhead007]

Remember to be careful that no chickens or wild birds can get a hold of rats/mice that have been poisoned.

 

[Ponypoor]

But she’s not Hispanic. Do you speak German? Previous owners were German.

I had an Arab mare who was from Egypt, she understood arabic hahaha. I would yell whoa whoa, she never listened, then my friend and her husband visited, he walked up to her saying 'bas, bas' which means 'quiet' I am told. And hay! She listened!!!

I told her she needed to learn newfaneze English haha, her name was Afaf. My grandmother's thick newfoundlander accent always sounded like she was saying F-@&& hilarious when she was yelling for her in the paddock - not sure what the neighbours thought

 

[featherhead007]

I agree, while it's always drama I find they generally figure it out... Bed time is aways drama here.

Oh the drama! Will it ever stop?

 

[Ponypoor]

Oh the drama! Will it ever stop?

At one point I was organizing bed times hahaha.

Now I wait, till dark and organize them.

 

[featherhead007]

At one point I was organizing bed times hahaha.

Now I wait, till dark and organize them.

Yep. That’s what we have to do!

 

[bgmathteach]

I gave up on the pea tree idea as it is classified as invasive here.
Lilac is a good one.
Last year I developed a list - I will go look it up. It had Serviceberry on it and Honeyberry (which I already planted).

I was planning on putting the pea tree in a hedge that will be enclosed in a new 'summer' pen (long term plans is 3 'summer' large 'pastures/pens' that I can rotate them through, and my current pen as a winter only one. The (long term) 'pastures/pens will enclose between 1/2 ish acre [what will be the smallest our 'orchard' pen for our soon to be fruiting & nut trees. (Apples, apricots, figs, pear, persimmons, & blueberries - a sub section - and some nut trees...have a few in mind but haven't settled on them yet. The fruit trees mentioned (minus blueberry bushes) we already have, heeled into a woodchip pile.] All the way up to an acre. The middle 'pen/pasture' will include half of the hedgerow (inside half, with fencing line in middle & enough space to walk along fence line & have electric fencing at base & top.
I plan on planting the pea tree shrubs on the inside of the fenceline...and hope the chickens will eat enough seeds as we approach winter...plus scratch enough to keep most from successfully sprouting. Also, I'm up for hand pulling AND for picking & saving seeds for winter feeding/supplementation. I hope in the future to be able to provide about 1/3 of their food for the winter from harvested/stored produce/seeds/grown worms/larvae& grown greens. Pumpkins and other winter squash, beets, turnips, parsnips, carrots all store well, and cold crops such as kale/cabbage/turnip greens/peas & pea vines will all grow in a greenhouse most of the winter. Plus, once I've got the orchard going, freeze or dry a variety of fruits, too! I've got to cut down on my feed bill, and I WANT to be more sustainable/self sufficient.

Sorry for the long windedness!

 

[bgmathteach]

There is a video online - after a terrible hawk attack that pinned his bird against the fencing, this guy did just that - using aviary netting - it is similar to fishnet, very strong - cutting slits to go around his trees, and tying it / weaving in line to hold it together on the other side of each tree. The trees had an advantage of being built-in poles/posts for the netting, but he did extend his fence posts too.

The trouble is it will be hard to work around the branches, and I don't want to cut them. One pine has a couple of 'low' branches...start @ 6' & drop to about 4.5 -5' that the chickens like to roost on....and there are more above that...once you get into the branches, it is almost impossible to work around them...especially with the 2 trees. If the lowest branches were 8' high, I could put the netting below them & be good. I really don't want to cut the lowest few on both trees, though, as these are the longest & provide the most/best shade...and again, the girls love roosting on them.