Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[ManueB]

We had a beautiful winter day ! -4/24 in the morning, and so much sun it was quite warm in the afternoon. The chickens loved it, they spent all the day outside, in spite of having the golden eagle's visit in the beginning of the afternoon.
Piou-piou who had not laid yesterday ran off in the night as soon as I opened the coop to the old barn to lay, so I followed her to make sure she arrived safely to her destination. For once Gaston and the rest of the team managed to come out before Théoand the ex-batts, and without wreaking havoc ! Léa went to lay immediately.
Cannelle and Nougat laid later in the morning.

We're done with cutting and grinding the ash tree ! Gaston's team had a lot of fun following my partner who spread the wood chips in the last of our gardens in front of the hives- they had never been that far I think.
A wonderful day with only two downsides- Merle went in the nest at 3.30 acting broody, but at least she came out on her own. And Chipie was chased by Théo during the day, and she sheltered herself in her favorite nest for the night.

 

[BDutch]

Help, you have a ghost on your land

 

[ManueB]

We have a few plants under their USDA zone...not the case for this pomegranate tree but we have noticed it's buds really don't like negative temps and it's been the case for more than ten days now.

 

[Perris]

lucky you! I wish I could grow a pomegranate.

 

[BDutch]

Most garden centers here sell all kind of bushes, plants and trees that don’t belong here. Sometimes they warn for cold. But all together it’s just ridiculous they are selling plants that have little chance to survive, unless you want to pack plants as ghosts every winter.

We have two. A cork tree and a small olive tree, which were presents . But otherwise we let try to choose wisely or leave them to die if they don’t feel welcome in our climate. I refuse to protect these 2 Mediterranean mini-trees. But my hubby tries to keep these presents alive in a ridiculous way with car window frost protectors. Maybe they are lucky with the climate change.

 

[ManueB]

Most garden centers here sell all kind of bushes, plants and trees that don’t belong here. Sometimes they warn for cold. But all together it’s just ridiculous they are selling plants that have little chance to survive, unless you want to pack plants as ghosts every winter.

We have two. A cork tree and a small olive tree, which were presents . But otherwise we let try to choose wisely or leave them to die if they don’t feel welcome in our climate. I refuse to protect these 2 Mediterranean mini-trees. But my hubby tries to keep these presents alive in a ridiculous way with car window frost protectors. Maybe they are lucky with the climate change.

Climate change is actually the problem for our pomegranates shrubs - they should be able to resist up to -12 but because the winters are so mild their buds come out much too soon, when it's still possible to have a week of very cold temps.
Otherwise I agree with you, we don't buy our trees in Nice anymore but we drive much further to get them from a guy that lives in the mountains, where they grow in an environment more similar to ours. I also have two other exceptions that we sometimes turn into ghosts for winter : a meddlar tree that was a gift from a friend who had to leave it when moving, and my verbena, that seems to survive year after year in spite of not being supposed to.
*****
-5/24 again this morning and another beautiful day. But the chickens didn't enjoy it at all like yesterday, something terrified them that I didn't see. I did spot the golden eagle but it was very far above. But ten minutes before roosting time I saw something - a type of hawk I had never seen before, light silver with a small characteristic triangle tail. I will try to find out what it is. That really frightened them and it was difficult to make them come out of hiding and back to the coop.

Even though the chickens did spend a good part of the day outside. Blanche had laid at dawn, and Gaston's three pullets went to lay as soon as I opened the coop. Unfortunately Merle didn't come out. I had to drag her out. She then went back in the nest so I had to block it... and then she was in broody trance most of the afternoon. I had to carry her to the coop and she escaped twice when I put her on the roost, which got both roosters very agitated. Also she has completely plucked her belly- she's naked under there .

 

[Perris]

I think Merle is a hopeless case ; gotta love a broody even if it is the wrong time. Hopefully she'll make a great mum one day.

 

[Solanacae]

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I love this. Two fluffy butt excavators with Gaston supervising.

Where I live now is technically within the range for some of the hardier pomegranate varieties, and I’m tempted to give it a try. Spring is always such a crapshoot here in Utah though and late frosts aren’t uncommon, even before climate change started making things even less predictable. As I’ve been considering which varieties of fruit trees to plant, I’ve been leaning in favor of those with high chill hours (we get plenty) and late bloom times to hedge my bets that I’ll have fruit to harvest.

I finalized my garden plans for the year, ordered a bunch of seeds (I hardly bought any last year and was out of a lot of things) plus a currant, some hardy rosemary (I’ve been too cold to have it overwinter successfully in the past), an apple and a peach. I’m going to try collecting seeds from some of these so I don’t have to keep buying them.

 

[BY Bob]

Climate change is actually the problem for our pomegranates shrubs - they should be able to resist up to -12 but because the winters are so mild their buds come out much too soon, when it's still possible to have a week of very cold temps.
Otherwise I agree with you, we don't buy our trees in Nice anymore but we drive much further to get them from a guy that lives in the mountains, where they grow in an environment more similar to ours. I also have two other exceptions that we sometimes turn into ghosts for winter : a meddlar tree that was a gift from a friend who had to leave it when moving, and my verbena, that seems to survive year after year in spite of not being supposed to.
*****
-5/24 again this morning and another beautiful day. But the chickens didn't enjoy it at all like yesterday, something terrified them that I didn't see. I did spot the golden eagle but it was very far above. But ten minutes before roosting time I saw something - a type of hawk I had never seen before, light silver with a small characteristic triangle tail. I will try to find out what it is. That really frightened them and it was difficult to make them come out of hiding and back to the coop.

Even though the chickens did spend a good part of the day outside. Blanche had laid at dawn, and Gaston's three pullets went to lay as soon as I opened the coop. Unfortunately Merle didn't come out. I had to drag her out. She then went back in the nest so I had to block it... and then she was in broody trance most of the afternoon. I had to carry her to the coop and she escaped twice when I put her on the roost, which got both roosters very agitated. Also she has completely plucked her belly- she's naked under there .
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Merle sweetie, it is much too cold to be trying to hatch. Wait a couple of months little one.

 

[lightm]

We reached 0/32 this morning but the weather was very cloudy in the morning, and very windy in the afternoon. It's supposed to stay warmer for a few days and drop again for the weekend.
Cannelle had already laid when I opened the coop and was waiting with Léa at the door, while Blanche was laying in the nest they have made near the door on the floor. I don't understand why they are laying so early in the morning! Merle went in to lay much later. After I finished lunch I noticed she was still in the nest so I went to check if she had laid. She made broody noises and she was standing-I didn't get that she was right in the middle of popping her egg out so I put my hand under her at a most awkward moment hope she wasn't too upset. She came out on her own half an hour later.

In the morning we alternated closing up Theo's team in the run, letting Gaston's team inside the netting, and letting Théo's team out and Gaston's team outside the netted zone. This seems to work more or less as the ex-batts are not really keen on being outside all the time. In the afternoon everyone was out in the strong wind. Merle created trouble several times as she goes to dustbathe under the laurel tree screaming like a broody every hour or so, and Gastounet comes after her.

At the end of the afternoon I walked to Gaston's team at the other end of the garden and saw four birds flying above - turns out there were two crows that chased a sparrowhawk and another bird away!
Tonight Théo didn't bully Chipie at roost time. Maybe they've become friends again ?

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Unfortunately for Blanche she is the only hen more or less of Theo's size and this means he tries to mate her more often than any other hens, especially as she's not smart enough to stay away when he tidbits.
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Théo and Gaston daring each other
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Theo's feathers are so pretty in this picture.