Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

oo oo oo, I wanna be like you hoo hoo do be do be do be doop

 

[HiEverybirdy]

This year, I let wineberries take over one of my pollinator gardens, specifically for the chickens to enjoy.

Unfortunately the wineberries grew so densely that the chickens were wary of the area. They may have suspected it was hiding predators.

Harvest-wise, it was a success, but I was the one picking berries for everyone. I've been clearing the canes so the bee balm, sochan, nightshade, milkweed, etc. can have their space back.

 

[rural mouse]

Hmm that looks nice. I’m sure it can grow here, but not sure if it will act in an invasive way. Will keep an eye out for it next time I’m at a plant nursery.


Thank you. Yes, I’ve tried to keep the blackberries from getting trampled over. No herbivore (or omnivore, if you don’t count dogs) has access to the property, so them getting eaten completely isn’t my top concern.
some of the new bushes theoretically provide food for the local wildlife and chickens (the myrtle and the blackberry bushes), along with what we already have growing here. I’m definitely more interested in bushes that produce berries or fruits, or something of the sort. Grasses are abundant here, and the group nibble at the seeds quite regularly. The the seniors love them a lot.

I don’t think we have any deciduous trees here, and I certainly wouldn’t know where to start. They’re not that common here; where you really start to see them is up North, in Macedonia, Thrace and Epirus, for example

Your climate is so different from what I'm familiar with that I hesitate to suggest other that what I know grows in southern California: pretty much any citrus (many have thorns), avocado (if you can get the fruits, can be sprouted from the stone), pomegranate, aloes...pecans can grow in New Mexico (hot and dry), almonds in northern Cali, lots of melons grow well in the heat, but require more of water. I wonder if ginger or turmeric would grow there: both rhizomes and can be sprouted from knobs in the fresh stuff if available in markets. Bamboo and eucalyptus would likely grow, but are usually invasive.

 

[fluffycrow]

Your climate is so different from what I'm familiar with that I hesitate to suggest other that what I know grows in southern California: pretty much any citrus (many have thorns), avocado (if you can get the fruits, can be sprouted from the stone), pomegranate, aloes...pecans can grow in New Mexico (hot and dry), almonds in northern Cali, lots of melons grow well in the heat, but require more of water. I wonder if ginger or turmeric would grow there: both rhizomes and can be sprouted from knobs in the fresh stuff if available in markets. Bamboo and eucalyptus would likely grow, but are usually invasive.

Yup, we definitely have a lot of lemons! Half of the scratches on my back are from those things, doesn’t help that the chickens really like that part of the property.
Though not melons, we have grown courgettes here, and some ornamental squash.
I wonder if we can grow turmeric. Will need to do more research on that, as it’s definitely not within my expertise.

Our neighbour has a huge eucalyptus tree, so it can definitely grow, but as you said, I’m not sure it would be a welcome addition. Funnily enough, it seems to be a magnet for escaped parrots. 3 or 5 in the last decade, by my count .

Shad’s bamboo experiences say that bamboo is great for chicken cover. Extremely invasive though. The closest thing would be reeds of some sort. We have plenty growing in the area, but this high, far away from the stream would probably prove to be a poor place for them. Maybe if I do extra waterings.

A few weeks ago I saw a bunch of wild songbirds picking at a really gorgeous bush. Decided to try and identify the variety; closest I came to an identification was abelia x grandiflora. Unfortunately they are not native, so there goes that hope. Shame, since the leaves were a very nice deep red

 

[Shadrach]

The chickens love the grapes, and the have decimated any clump growing within their reach.

Are they wine grapes? The chickens in Catalonia loved the wine grapes. the vines were the first port of call after unlock in the morning. We had fig trees as well, four that produced fruit. Three of the figs trees produced the usual dark purple fig but the other produced green figs and they were my favorite and the chickens preferred them.

The vines were replanted next to the house after some disaster to do with either weather or parasites. They mad a great canopy above the kitchen doors. But, if one doesn't pick all the grapes at the right time, the wasps move in in their droves.

 

[Shadrach]

Two hours, dry, around 11C but with some 35mph wind gusts. We had one spell of strong gusts that made the chickens take cover in the coop extension.
I can't help feeling sorry for Sylph. She's not laying eggs so, like many cockerels and young roosters I've found, Glais won't feed her or think she should have any treats. Glais has moments of being rather mean to her, chases her away from treat food in particular. Sylph isn't getting hurt in any of this and she likes Glais well enough. With Mow it's all "yes Mow and of course Mow."
Fortunately not only does the moult pass and as the boys grow up much of this behaviour stops. Anyway, he did drop a couple of bits of cheese for Mow, so that's an improvement. Early days.

Sylph ate some of the supplied feed this afternoon and went foraging with Mow and Glais. It looks like she going to do a slow bitty moult.

I took this on the way home tonight. I had to do some shopping on the way home. This is Bristol Cathedral.

 

[lightm]

Inky is going through her hardest molting...
October 27th

October 29th

October 30th (today)

This is normal inky

Finally a Light snuggle

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Two hours, dry, around 11C but with some 35mph wind gusts. We had one spell of strong gusts that made the chickens take cover in the coop extension.
I can't help feeling sorry for Sylph. She's not laying eggs so, like many cockerels and young roosters I've found, Glais won't feed her or think she should have any treats. Glais has moments of being rather mean to her, chases her away from treat food in particular. Sylph isn't getting hurt in any of this and she likes Glais well enough. With Mow it's all "yes Mow and of course Mow."
Fortunately not only does the moult pass and as the boys grow up much of this behaviour stops. Anyway, he did drop a couple of bits of cheese for Mow, so that's an improvement. Early days.

Sylph ate some of the supplied feed this afternoon and went foraging with Mow and Glais. It looks like she going to do a slow bitty moult.
View attachment 4242359View attachment 4242360View attachment 4242361View attachment 4242362View attachment 4242363View attachment 4242364

I took this on the way home tonight. I had to do some shopping on the way home. This is Bristol Cathedral.
View attachment 4242365

Aww, poor Sylph! Looking forward to reading about post-molt changes.

 

[fuzzi]

Inky is going through her hardest molting...
October 27th
View attachment 4242371

October 29th
View attachment 4242370

October 30th (today)View attachment 4242373
View attachment 4242369

Poor girl.

 

[fuzzi]

This afternoon Jacob (3 month old Sussex cockerel) took a piece of greens from my fingers, first time!