What did you do with your flock today?

[TropicalBabies]

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This is terrific! Made my eve. So glad people share their successful solutions. We stand to learn much. Such a handsome little bug. I lub him ♡♡♡

 

[PopoMyers]

So much catching up, and I'd rather be here than watching TV.
Onyx has been getting herself stuck inside a little fenced in area, inside their yard where I have dahlias planted. 3 days in a row. 4 foot fence. Each time I let her back out. I sort of delayed letting her out yesterday, and when I did she ran straight for the water bowl. Maybe she learned her lesson, as she just was relaxing when I went out this morning and gave me a funny look. Yesterday, they got beet greens from the small harvest. Found out they do not like celery nor cooked beet skins.

 

[kurby22]

So much catching up, and I'd rather be here than watching TV.
Onyx has been getting herself stuck inside a little fenced in area, inside their yard where I have dahlias planted. 3 days in a row. 4 foot fence. Each time I let her back out. I sort of delayed letting her out yesterday, and when I did she ran straight for the water bowl. Maybe she learned her lesson, as she just was relaxing when I went out this morning and gave me a funny look. Yesterday, they got beet greens from the small harvest. Found out they do not like celery nor cooked beet skins.

I love how naughty your chickens are! Such little troublemakers Hopefully Onyx learned her lesson! Hmm maybe because they lost their “dirt” flavor in the pot! Hehe!

 

[Shetland lover]

L

Ok, hear me out. My chickens do the most damage scratching in the dirt and digging up plants. I grow a lot, specifically to feed them, but for me too.

I built a garden that allows them to forage but keep keeping the plants alive by either encasing them (either with Avian netting or fencing) or cutting a scrap of hardware cloth to lay around the bottom of the plant. They try scratching around the plant and hit the hardware cloth, it makes them move on to another spot. They don't rip up the plant.

It's working like a charm (knock on wood). I got the idea from putting it on my planters for overwintering because they were dirt bathing in them and digging up my roots. That's working like a charm too.

Meanwhile, my garden grows and my chooks eat a very wide variety of vegetation. Another upside, pest control on any ground plants, they eat the lower leaves on Vining plants (less pruning for me) and it's somewhat self fertilizing.

I have a similar system in my garden. Works beautifully until they get a taste for a particular plant. In my case, hosta and ferns.
I've now completely blocked access to two beds with black avian netting and iron stakes. It's practically invisible until you get up close and for the first time in 4 years I have hosta again! I plan to remove it in winter to allow them to clear it up for me.

 

[Shetland lover]

I find it somewhat amusing when my chickens lay their eggs just any old place! It's like they're totally oblivious to the fact that the egg is coming and Whoops! I'll just plop it out right here and keep moving! Was very considerate of her to use the slipper to secure it's safety though!

She has a thing about sitting on my feet. Must have got that from her dad. At least it's not in a sexual way like he did - still got the scars!
I guess some hens must be like those lucky human ladies who birth babies in record time. My friend gave birth to her first child in 10 minutes! Thought she might need the bathroom and out he shot...

 

[Shetland lover]

The chicken welfare officer may be paying me a visit. I think I've corrupted my pet hen with ice cream. Now she's addicted.

I got Ferdy hooked on nachos. Naively thought one bite would put him off for life!

 

[Shetland lover]

So much catching up, and I'd rather be here than watching TV.
Onyx has been getting herself stuck inside a little fenced in area, inside their yard where I have dahlias planted. 3 days in a row. 4 foot fence. Each time I let her back out. I sort of delayed letting her out yesterday, and when I did she ran straight for the water bowl. Maybe she learned her lesson, as she just was relaxing when I went out this morning and gave me a funny look. Yesterday, they got beet greens from the small harvest. Found out they do not like celery nor cooked beet skins.

Mine literally run away from beets! They loathe them. Pity as we love them and I hate wasting the leaves and skins.

 

[Nomadicus]

Today's challenge is to build enough platforms to raise all the water fountains up so the chickens don't kick so much trash into then. I stay busy some days just keeping their water clean (and filled).

 

[-Chanticleer-]

We had to fence them out of my garden. They would excavate the dirt out if the raised beds and have lots of snacks.

I have holes everywhere in my garden bed from them breaking and entering.

 

[ChicksnMore]

You could have a male papaya tree. No fruit. Pretty tree, though. I once started a couple trees from seed for my sister, and both ended up being male. She pulled them out.

It's a girl. I planted a couple and both were girls . Not sure if I want to try for a boy because I have to bring them indoors for the winter and they grow so tall. This one's manageable because the top froze the one year I tried leaving it out. I keep kinda hoping someone near enough will have a boy