Persimmons and Owls

[aart]

We had serious competition from dogs that eat the fruit without chewing.

At least two dogs are be going potty real soon.

Ha!! That was my first thought!!

Farmers market is very much work. Talking to people takes a lot of energy.

It sure is.

 

[centrarchid]

We are starting to see a weight change response in free-range birds. They are cleaning up all the persimmons under trees relatively close to pens. I estimate they are consuming about 2 gallons of berries a day to do this. Chickens roosting to north and farther away from the persimmon trees are not get any of the fruit except when we bring them up. My daughter and I went and got a couple gallons more from under only about 6 trees. A dog followed and consumed at least 30 fruit. Then she competed with birds from north for fruit daughter tossed out for them. The free-range birds are eating a lot more and are getting fat abdomens. Even penned males are getting heavy. My daughter is given everyone too many fruit.

So long as the chickens keep up with the fruit falling, we should not have any drunks running about. If the fruit ferments like it does some years, we are going to have some drunk chickens and possibly dogs. The fruit is falling faster than in previous years so risk of fermentation higher.