So I have been putting it into my raised garden beds and compost, hoping that it mulches and gives nutrients to the soil as it all breaks down. Does anyone know more about this?
Best mulch in the world K when I clean my houses each day I just go to where I want to mulch next and put it out. their poo mixes with the shavings so it's not like putting straight manure on the plants roots so I haven't seen any burning at all.Horsekeeper your "hay house" looks great!!
Did I read correctly that your straw outside in their day pen is a few feet thick? I use soft poultry netting over a chicken wire frame in my goose's roost at night-- covered with straw. But that makes for tons of straw that has to go somewhere every day when I clean her roost!
Miss Lydia I am also eagerly awaiting Spring!
Welded wire and at least 2'high hardware cloth 1/2" around bottom to keep preds from reaching in and grabbing. still hopefully they have a secure house for night time because weasels, minks, etc can get through 1" openings I have read. Some even dig down 1' and place wire down into ground to keep out diggers. We ended up buying our fencing at Lowes.
Here we just put up no climb horse fencing with barb wire around the top it's about 1/2 acre. It's for day light only at dusk everyone is locked up. We decided on no climb horse fencing because we had blk bears destroying our welded wire fencing. climbing over. But here is link that may give you some ideas, and the threat of preds. some completely cover their pens some to me are pretty lax on their fencing, I just know you have to make it as secure as you can afford. or you'll suffer losses. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/512314/post-pictures-of-your-duck-pen-coop/90
What a sweet pic.My poultry give me so much pleasure and help me relax and enjoy life. I had to give up all my animals about 35 years ago and spent all that time trapped in an office or travelling and teaching. Now that I have retired I have immersed myself in poultry, with goats to follow if everything goes to plan. And there's a horse, too
Buster the gander thinks he hates me and greets me with hisses. He was running feral in a large flock when I bought him and his lady friend. Then hiss hisses turn to little honks and softer noises and his tail wags like mad. I'll be keeping a wary eye on him as breeding season approaches. The Pekins are also not very friendly as I bought them out of a poor situation a year ago. They get excited to see me but keep their distance.
The muscovies on the other hand are such shameless beggers! I either got them at 3 days old or they hatched here and were raised in the house for a while.
Here's Lily the brahma bantam when she was "special" because she was so much smaller than her hatch mates. We watched TV together at night. Now she lives with the bantam flock and gives me dirty looks because she has to live with chickens. Oh, the horror!
