Protecting fruit trees from your chickens

[CrystalAnon]

Can always make a trip to the fabric store and find a mesh big enough for the pollinators you want to enter, but small enough to keep the destructors out, and use some twigs or wire to construct the same basic thing.

We live in Florida. I counted about 10 different pollinators last year! Bees of all different sizes, shapes & colors, and butterflies (although, depending on the plant, the butterflies & moths can be quite destructive).
It’s a good idea! For some plants I would certainly consider this!

 

[Perris]

the wood will attract lots of insects and arthropods, which may or may not be good for the trees and will definitely attract the chickens even more than whatever was around the roots that they were foraging before you intervened - and which may have been fruit tree pests, by the way, that the chickens would have removed if left to get on with it; see mid left of this poster

 

[CrystalAnon]

the wood will attract lots of insects and arthropods, which may or may not be good for the trees and will definitely attract the chickens even more than whatever was around the roots that they were foraging before you intervened - and which may have been fruit tree pests, by the way, that the chickens would have removed if left to get on with it; see mid left of this poster
View attachment 4148904

Thank you! Definitely good to keep in mind. They were foraging for perlite & fruit tree fertilizer before. I might remove the wood once the young trees are big enough.
They still forage around the bottom of the trees, but they can’t scratch up the mulch to reveal the soil & young roots now.

 

[Appalachickens]

I like the idea. Kind of mulch on steroids? Even if the chickens do peck around some, it seems like they won't be able to damage the young tree's roots.

 

[CrystalAnon]

I like the idea. Kind of mulch on steroids? Even if the chickens do peck around some, it seems like they won't be able to damage the young tree's roots.

Exactly what I was thinking. Plus, I’ve noticed the wood attracts other predators of pests, like frogs & lizards. Our garden enclosure is full of frogs & lizards. I can only imagine how many pests all those little guys eat in our garden. I have to watch for frogs when I’m harvesting greens. They have been known to sneak a ride indoors on a chard, beet or bok choy leaf! The lizards are quick to flee at harvest time.

 

[Appalachickens]

Exactly what I was thinking. Plus, I’ve noticed the wood attracts other predators of pests, like frogs & lizards. Our garden enclosure is full of frogs & lizards. I can only imagine how many pests all those little guys eat in our garden. I have to watch for frogs when I’m harvesting greens. They have been known to sneak a ride indoors on a chard, beet or bok choy leaf! The lizards are quick to flee at harvest time.

Same, I'm always happy to see the frogs and lizards. And I've encountered tiny brown earth snakes which eat slugs, among other things.

 

[CrystalAnon]

Same, I'm always happy to see the frogs and lizards. And I've encountered tiny brown earth snakes which eat slugs, among other things.

Yes!! I’ve seen black racer snakes in our garden, but we really don’t have snails or slugs here, that I’ve seen. We had a ton in California.
Any natural garden pest eater is a friend of mine.

 

[CrystalAnon]

Yes!! I’ve seen black racer snakes in our garden, but we really don’t have snails or slugs here, that I’ve seen. We had a ton in California.
Any natural garden pest eater is a friend of mine.

It’s why I don’t like using pesticides. I only use Neem oil. And I use BT on our citrus, and cucumbers if it gets bad with worm-holes in the fruit.