Cat tails Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 No I haven't turned carnivore, but I did give the plants in my garden their freedom back! Since I got the chickens, I had to take increasingly drastic measures to keep the ladies from destroying just about every plant in my garden. A few weeks ago Merel discovered that you can actually fly into the pots and dig them out... Today I decided enough was enough and I made a new "enclosure" for the ladies. I attached some dog kennel wire to the Omlet run and that's their future "free ranging". The wire is about 80 cm high and at one side secured to a the run and a pole. The other side is also secured to a pole, but with the wire resting in some metal eyes so I can easily open it if needed. I added their dustbath and the only two plants they hadn't destroyed yet. Do need to device another plan for the dustbath. As it is just a bucket and it used to stand in a dry spot. Might buy a litterbox instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 I also removed all plant protection measures, which included quite some bird wire and dozens of bamboo poles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 Yes I too had to limit their FR due to decimation of spring bulbs. Their playground is about 20feet by 15 and they congregate in the WIR looking out forlornly into the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 I gave up on bulbs a long time ago... As I don't have a fox issue here and a real WIR is much too expensive, I'm quite happy with the result. All together it cost me about €30. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 It does look good Watch out that they don't use that lovely log as a launching pad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 Thanks! Or the pots for that matter... Merel was sitting in them this afternoon. But at least Lavender is sufficiently unappealing to them to not pluck all its leafs off. All of my chickens can fly up to the top of the run. Although they hardly ever do it and I just hope they don't figure that out... Someone dumbed the log just outside my garden in a bit of council green. It's mine now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 I too had to stop the girls from devastating part of the garden. The veggie patch is out of bounds now as the path ends up in the deep beds and the deep beds ended up where the path used to be! Not only that they trampled through the lavender and pretty much everything else. My girls never took any notice of chickens not liking something so that plant would be safe. No it wasn't. Although they did do a terrific job of scarifying the lawn at the top - which is now human only (apart from wild birds) and is now full of moss as a result. Swings and roundabouts. The snowdrops are popping up all over the borders though - and nice clumps they have formed too. The girls did good there! While they are in Stalag 13 (now with exercise rights) it seems to be a good idea to get some of the garden under more control. Weather permitting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 Same here! Planted a rubarb this weekend and trimmed the buddleja. Garden looks bare again without it! Need to clear a bunch of wild strawberries and fill pots with some summery looking plants. Also thinking about planting my small cherry tree. It's in a pot right now, but that will get too small fast and watering often... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
