Should I move my run away from the walnut tree?

[Coopscraft]

I will be building a new coop and run. Right now my run is under an old walnut tree. The chickens use it for shade. Will the used feed eventually kill the tree?

(Yes, my son caught the leghorn by himself.)

 

[Coopscraft]

Lazarus the chicken got herself out of a moving current. Of course that was 37 years ago back when chickens were real chickens and were used to scratching through 27 feet of snow to get a single seed and having to fly upwind both ways to reach the nest box which was invariably guarded by a starving wolf.

 

[Coopscraft]

What is he going to do to her?!?!....put her in that bucket of water?!?(which is rather deep for chicken safety).

I wouldn't worry about the tree, good idea to keep lots of carbon(wood chippings) in the run to help 'eat up' the nitrogen reducing stink and detriments to the tree.

He’s a little scientist. He wanted to see if she would swim. Fortunately she flew instead. I immediately informed him that dropping live chickens in the water is against policy. The crazy part of that whole thing is that he had just pulled the same stunt on the rooster. I caught him flying out of the water bucket but didn’t see what had happened before. Let’s say the three year old has been informed.

Btw, if you think a chicken would drown in a bucket like that, I should tell the story of Lazarus the chicken.

 

[cavemanrich]

I don't think you should worry about your tree dying from chicken gumdrops.
I know it is considered HOT, unless composted for growing veggies.
When I clean out my coop, I take contents of coop cleanout, (poop,bedding, and whatever else) and drop it at the base of my ornamental trees. I try to give some to each tree. Rain slowly dissolves contents, and it goes into ground. My day-lilies also benefit from the natural fertilizer.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and

 

[Molpet]

Lazarus the chicken got herself out of a moving current. Of course that was 37 years ago back when chickens were real chickens and were used to scratching through 27 feet of snow to get a single seed and having to fly upwind both ways to reach the nest box which was invariably guarded by a starving wolf.

I have walnut trees too
I worry about chicks getting clobbered in the fall

 

[ValerieJ]

Heck you could probably walk through there blindfolded and still come out with clean shoes.

No. I have to have dedicated shoes. I can't seem to avoid the freshest pile of poo every time I go out. LOL I think they intentionally walk around my feet and give me gifts.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I think a child that size would have his work cut out for him trying to drown a chicken in that bucket. Especially with Mom standing right there. I had to laugh, he looks so intent on his task! Too bad he never did find out if she could swim!

 

[Fluffnut]

Chickens can swim- but not for very long. Eventually they will become waterlogged and/or exhausted. Funny that a walnut tree started this whole debate about chickens swimming or not!

 

[Julesstarohio56]

I looked out the window once to see my daughter put her hamster in the kiddie pool. Before I could open the window, there was a hamster with cheeks puffed up with air, swimming across the pool. She was never allowed outside with hamster again. Hamsters can swim, but probably not for long. maybe we should leave swimming to the experts—ducks!

 

[Shadrach]

My concern is people who read this thread may take their chickens and dump them in a pool to see if they'll swim.

I doubt if I would get much dissent if I stated that monkeys can't drive.
But, I've seen monkeys drive three wheeler rickshaw type cabs in Asia, with careful supervision from a human. So, for the pedantic, monkeys can drive.
Most if one wrote that dogs walk on four legs would accept this. There will however be one or two that will post a video of their dogs walking on two legs and contest the four legged walking statement.
If I post stating chickens can't fly, lots of people will write that their chickens can fly. I have bantams here that will, under pressure 'fly' over the roof of the main house here.
Most scientists would put the chicken in the flightless fowl category because while they can spend a limited time off the ground there are a great many other things that contribute to a reasonable definition of flying that chickens can't do.
In order to conduct a rational debate some kind of reasonable definition of what being able to fly, swim, walk, is necessary.
Swimming and flying are not really something to be done in half measures.

It has already been acknowledged that chickens don't swim as well as ducks for example.
In the video of the single game fowl in the water the human trainer is semi crouched waiting for the moment when the fowl doesn't have sufficient strength to paddle any more.
He knows that chickens can't swim. You wouldn't be that attentive if say a duck was 'swimming' and that's because ducks can swim.
In the videos water is being used to train the chickens. In one string is used to help support the chickens in the water while in the other the trainer is waiting close by in order to rescue the chicken should it stop paddling. They have to do this because chickens can't swim.