Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

I sent an application to an animal sanctuary that was looking for volunteers back in Dec. They acknowledged receipt of it, but have not contacted me about it. Guess they didn't need that much help. And NJ wants a damn permit for everything, even a tree frog for example.

Please, dont give up so easily.

Make an appointment or just go there. Talk to the people who work there.
Maybe your mail has arrived in the spam, or an ignorant volunteer deleted it because he/she was plain stupid.

Get connected through social media or LinkedIn with other animal lovers.

 

[Perris]

There just isn't much that can be done on the plot with the ground conditions and the wet makes doing chicken care difficult.

The ground is so saturated I think a lot of spring prep isn't getting done across large swathes of the country. A lot of last year's root veg grown for our veg box scheme rotted in the ground because it was so wet too.

This is obviously not as dramatic or as visible as flooding, but being sodden for months on end must be having an impact on soil life, surely? I haven't had bare patches in the lawn before now, or seen the chickens working selected areas so hard, and I'm wondering if it's bringing soil organisms that normally live deeper nearer to the surface. In any case, I've got some mixed grass seed to overseed as needed when there's a break in the weather, and then hope it doesn't get washed away. Another challenge will be keeping the flock off till it's established. Anybody got any tried and tested methods? Else I'll have to get creative with the scaffolding netting

 

[BDutch]

The ground is so saturated I think a lot of spring prep isn't getting done across large swathes of the country.

We have the same issue here. Yesterday i mowed the grass/lawn for the first time after winter. It was warm and we had sunshine all day. But it just wouldnt work properly because of the wet soil. Had to clean the knife compartment every 20 meter. I ended up setting the mow height on 40 mm.

 

[RoyalChick]

And NJ wants a damn permit for everything, even a tree frog for example.

No permit required in NJ for a Bullfrog, a Boa Constrictor, or a Guinea-pig (as examples).
Rats supposedly make good pets and don’t require a permit either.

 

[no fly zone]

No permit required in NJ for a Bullfrog, a Boa Constrictor, or a Guinea-pig (as examples).
Rats supposedly make good pets and don’t require a permit either.

I hate rats

 

[RoyalChick]

I hate rats

That is unfortunate living so close to NYC - I gather they are everywhere!

I shouldn’t laugh - I am sure I have plenty of rats in the woods.

 

[MrsNorthie]

We have the same issue here. Yesterday i mowed the grass/lawn for the first time after winter. It was warm and we had sunshine all day. But it just wouldnt work properly because of the wet soil. Had to clean the knife compartment every 20 meter. I ended up setting the mow height on 40 mm.

It dried out enough for the Egg Thief to get the more elevated area mowed, but we still have a few spots that are a little swampy but were improving with a couple of sunny warm days, but today, it is thunderstorms and rain.

 

[MrsNorthie]

That is unfortunate living so close to NYC - I gather they are everywhere!

I shouldn’t laugh - I am sure I have plenty of rats in the woods.

And reeeeally big.

 

[no fly zone]

That is unfortunate living so close to NYC - I gather they are everywhere!

I shouldn’t laugh - I am sure I have plenty of rats in the woods.

I've dealt with thousands of them in the 16 yrs I have owned snakes.

 

[Shadrach]

The sun shone this afternoon.I shouldn't take the piss, it might not do it again for a couple of months. Yes it was pleasant and we all got out for a couple of hours.
Fret wedged herself under Henry for a bit and lay there purring.
I managed to groom Henry as he stood beside my chair unrestrained and that's a first. He's let me groom him on the extension perch before but not standing on the ground.
The wet has brought lots of small worms close to the surface of the soil and as I broke up the mud clods on my plot hoping to dry the ground out a bit faster, the chickens had a veritable feast.
Between the wind and the sunshine the worst of the surface water evaporated. Another dry day tomorrow would make my plot workable at least.