Chicken Diversions

Top Left: The girls explore their new surroundings                    Top Right: Chris battles with the thorns
Bottom Left: 50 square yards of freedom                                    Bottom Right: The trellis tunnel

Work began on chicken diversions and Saturday became Friday.  Firstly, we erected 2 boundary panels and then we constructed a a trellis tunnel which we linked into the Hennery.  Posts with wire above the tunnel prevents access to the garden.  Now when the girls go out to play, they have direct access to the Gaza Strip via their own jet-way. Not bad for 4 hens.  They can dig, scratch, mine, peck, excavate, preen, dust bathe and lay to their hearts' content and no one will be worried about garden damage (phew!).  Now we have to hope that they don't keep jumping/flying over the fence and that Monsieur Le Reynard doesn't come visiting!

Catkins despite the gloom

Even on a grey and gloomy February day, how nice and cheery do a few catkins look?

Time for lawn maintenance

In the meantime and as the weather has been dry and the 3 days of gales and high winds have really dried things up, it's been time to call in Green Thumb for aerating and scarifying the lawns.  Yes, I know!  It does sound extravagant BUT, by the time the cost of hiring all the necessary equipment to do both jobs AND the time sweeping up all the thousands of plugs of soil and barrowing them all to the compost heap is factored into the equation, it really isn't such an extravagance.  The lawns look a tad worked over now but we'll take another look in a few weeks time (and, no I don't get commission from Green Thumb!)  I promise you'll see a massive difference.

 David first came to do this to do this job 3 weeks ago.  He unloaded all the heavy equipment, walked around only to find very waterlogged and/or frozen lawns, came in for a cuppa, loaded up the machinery and went home!  I'm relieved everything dried up enabling it to be completed without it all looking like a mud bath.  In fact, I arrived home to find the lawns looking very 'swept' and tidy.  Mark Bishop is the chap to call http://www.greenthumb.co.uk/worcester

More vandalism!

Quelle damage!  What a good job the girls are soon to have new surroundings! The pond perimeter couldn't take this for very long.  I can't wait to get things up and running!  What chance do plants stand when they're up against 8 very strong clawed feet all day long?  If they're not having there tops pecked off, they're having their roots clawed up!  Still; never mind!  Materials have been ordered and works commence on Friday.  Until then, it's damage limitation!

Alive!

These help compensate for losses due to such a severe winter and chickens!

https://picasaweb.google.com/peartree.pam/WinterDamageSignsOfSpringFebruary2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCN6x98KHkLeJdQ#

DEAD!

  

From beautiful scented blooms to DEAD in a single harsh winter!  Ah well - it was only  grown from seed brought back from Oz 5 years ago.  A chance taken!  Now where are all the garden advisers promoting non-hardy, drought tolerant Mediterranean plants for our English gardens????

Poultry Pitfalls

Well........................!!  We gave it a fair innings and we raked up after the girls faithfully for 8 whole months but we now concede defeat!  Four chickens excavating flat out 8+ hours each and every day - even in 3/4 acre is more than we can keep up with - particularly at this time of year when new shoots are just beginning to emerge.  The damage is too much.  We are extremely lucky to have such a brilliant neighbour and from next week, the girls will be turned out to graze on, what has become known as, the Gaza Strip.


They will have the area between the the two sections of rabbit wire at the very bottom of the garden.  It's the most perfect solution as they will keep it weed free and still retain their freedom without causing any vandalism in the garden. Phew!   Wave of relief!  I feel as if I shall have my garden back!  No need to fence of the vegetable patch and put in gates and barriers everywhere!  I could NOT be more pleased - especially as I so want them to be free. It will also mean that won't have to worry about  the threat of nettles, goose grass, scutch or docks (or their seeds) invading from this area.  My precious David Austin roses are unlikely to be dug up again either!

Above left: Hen defences for the re-planted roses!

If anyone ever asks me for advice on keeping 4 totally free range hens in a garden; I would say: If you value your garden and it's 3/4 acre or less, then don't!  It's not as if I hadn't been brought up with poultry because I had and, many more!  They just weren't allowed in the garden!  Now, I know why!  In fairness to ourselves, the girls arrived in June when all plants were tall and strong.  They weren't presenting themselves as tasty young shoots.  Furthermore, the girls were very young - just point of lay.  Now we have a very different situation.  The girls are now big and strong and young and tender plants are at their most vulnerable to non-stop beaks and claws!