Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[RoyalChick]

I didn't realize that gooseberries and currants are related. Both can carry white pine blister rust which kills white pines. They were made illegal a hundred years ago to protect the white pines but are now again legal in many states including Vermont. They are also legal in New Jersey, just go to a nursery that sells them.

Yes, they are all of the genus Ribes.
There is no longer a state-wide ban in NJ on Gooseberries and redcurrants but there continue to be restrictions county by county and in some counties by township within the county!
And I think there is still a statewide ban on black currants. At least I think I have that right.
Unsurprisingly any on-line sellers find that all too complicated so just won't ship to NJ at all.

This conversation though has prompted me to check with the plant store near me to see if they have any or can get their hands on either red currants or goosberries.

The local plant store has a gorgeous albino peacock so it is always a treat to visit.
Just not today because it is too, too hot to move. I am resorting to ice-cream sitting under a tree.

 

[bruceha2000]

The local plant store has a gorgeous albino peacock so it is always a treat to visit.

Good a reason as any!

I have 1 of each: Gooseberry, red currant, black currant and champagne currant. Interesting thing about gooseberries (and maybe currants???) is that they have pectin naturally so you can make jam without adding any. You can make triple berry jam if you can get gooseberries, raspberries and blackberries at the same time. I'm sure other berries would work as well.

 

[RoyalChick]

Good a reason as any!

I have 1 of each: Gooseberry, red currant, black currant and champagne currant. Interesting thing about gooseberries (and maybe currants???) is that they have pectin naturally so you can make jam without adding any. You can make triple berry jam if you can get gooseberries, raspberries and blackberries at the same time. I'm sure other berries would work as well.

Sounds delicious. I did not know the currants are high in pectin. I know crabapples are and adding some of them can help set jams and jellies.

 

[BDutch]

We have lots of different berry’s too.
At the moment we have ripe gooseberry’s (the coloured ones) , blackberry x raspberry’s (cross) and some strawberry’s.
The red berry’s are not on a sunny spot and just start to ripen. We have a white berry (almost same taste) too, but this year there’s not much fruit in it. The blueberry’s are later too.

 

[BDutch]

Today I couldn’t find the chickens when I wanted to close them in the run again. They didn’t come after making noises and calls either. We looked out the windows on the first floor to see if they where at a neighbours place..but no sign of then. No noises either. Sooo strange.

I rang the bell of our most direct neighbour. But they went away. So I took the liberty to walk around their house. And there they were. 4 chickens in the neighbours mini-pigs run. 2 chickens just outside. Normally the fence has electricity to prevent the pig from escaping. But it was off.
Strangely enough 2 didn’t dare to jump over the fence again. These 2 panicked heavily .

I still wonder what happened or why the chickens where visiting the pig? Not for tea for sure. Bc they are afraid of this tiny monster.

Another strange thing was that Ini mini (the headmaster) didn’t want to return to the run. It was obvious she thought not all chickens were @home again. Acting nervous and calling for the other chickens.
She calmed down immediately after she back with the flock.

Yesterday: cleaning the run , filling up the sand-bath pit (under the window).

 

[no fly zone]

I think Chippy is my favorite from all these babies

 

[ManueB]

We have lots of different berry’s too.
At the moment we have ripe gooseberry’s (the coloured ones) , blackberry x raspberry’s (cross) and some strawberry’s.
The red berry’s are not on a sunny spot and just start to ripen. We have a white berry (almost same taste) too, but this year there’s not much fruit in it. The blueberry’s are later too.

Berries are one of my garden failures here. I think it's because we're exposed to the south with no shade and poor chalk soil. I can't count the number of raspberries and gooseberry cuttings I've killed.
I did have a very nice 15 sq meters strawberry patch which I discovered completely eaten to the ground three mornings ago, thousands of leaves eaten up with only the stems left. I briefly thought it was the chicks but realized they don't eat strawberries leaves and the strawberries themselves were still there. Turns out there's a roe family ( mama and baby) that's found a way to break in our fencing, but they don't know how to get out. We've been doing some patching up everyday but we haven't found their entrance because they keep breaking in nights and then we have to open all doors in the mornings to let them out .

 

[ManueB]

Today I couldn’t find the chickens when I wanted to close them in the run again. They didn’t come after making noises and calls either. We looked out the windows on the first floor to see if they where at a neighbours place..but no sign of then. No noises either. Sooo strange.

I rang the bell of our most direct neighbour. But they went away. So I took the liberty to walk around their house. And there they were. 4 chickens in the neighbours mini-pigs run. 2 chickens just outside. Normally the fence has electricity to prevent the pig from escaping. But it was off.
Strangely enough 2 didn’t dare to jump over the fence again. These 2 panicked heavily .

I still wonder what happened or why the chickens where visiting the pig? Not for tea for sure. Bc they are afraid of this tiny monster.

Another strange thing was that Ini mini (the headmaster) didn’t want to return to the run. It was obvious she thought not all chickens were @home again. Acting nervous and calling for the other chickens.
She calmed down immediately after she back with the flock.
View attachment 3164467
Yesterday: cleaning the run , filling up the sand-bath pit (under the window).

Do you think they were just curious because no one was home ? Or did something scare them away ? You'll see today if it was curiosity they will probably go back there !

I think Chippy is my favorite from all these babies
View attachment 3164508

She is really cute in a punk way ! What a bunch of feathers they all have .

 

[Bobalina]

I’m so jealous of you guys…I don’t have the space to grow much…although, basically all of the fence is dominated by a truly humongous blackberry bush (funny because all the berries are too high to reach without a ladder)

 

[bruceha2000]

Turns out there's a roe family ( mama and baby) that's found a way to break in our fencing, but they don't know how to get out.

Weird, I would have guessed the deer would eat the berries as well, they sure love apples.

I’m so jealous of you guys…I don’t have the space to grow much…although, basically all of the fence is dominated by a truly humongous blackberry bush (funny because all the berries are too high to reach without a ladder)

So break out the ladder! Can't let it go to waste or all to the birds