Last year I suffered terribly with saw fly on my gooseberry's and current bushes. That winter the chickens had the run of the veg & fruit garden and would you believe it - not a leaf lost to it the little buggers this year.
I think this is organic pest control at it's best.
I'm going for the same approach this year. Now we've finished with the fruit garden I've erected a temporary fence to separate it off from the veg and I've released the chickens in there to eat any bugs for me, whilst adding their manure to the area and reducing the weeds as well.
It's a really simple pleasure in life to let animals out on to bigger pasture. The hens loved their new pen and I loved watching them explore. I remember being a child and my father and I taking great pleasure when the ewes and lambs were let out of the shed for the first time. We'd stand for ages, not talking, just watching them enjoy their new space.
These young hens have certainly earned their keep this year!
On our certified organic farm we keep chickens (great for all bugs) peacocks (bugs and small rodents including snakes) ducks (more bugs) and guinea hens (bugs and alarm system) We are of course not bug free but we are always surprised when we visit farms without poultry how many MORE insects are there. Go chickens go!
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed by how many they eat. The fruit garden was in such a better state of health due to their stay last year that it just makes sense to keep them there over winter. the lazy gardens tool!
DeleteDo you dose your hens for internal parasites, Kev? We dose all our livestock for worms.
ReplyDeleteI have in the past but normally only when I see them in their poop! Maybe I should give them a drench again now as they're not laying great anyway.
DeleteThey look very happy working for their keep too!
ReplyDeleteJane x
It sure does make them happy!
DeleteI bet you can't keep them out of your veg though. Even if you clip their wings they'll be Fosbury Flopping over that temporary fence before you can say knife! Unless I just had Ninja hens....
ReplyDeletenormally if I clip their wings they tend to stay put, until that one night you're in a rush and can't find one hen who's escaped! Then you spend ages look and it turns out she's perched about 5 yards from you watching you the whole time!
DeleteMy neighbor says that chickens are the best pest controllers as well. I also agree with your new territory assessment. My sheep have been loving the fact I let em out into the big pasture.
ReplyDeleteI always love letting animals out. With the sheep it was great because they'd been in all winter and the lambs had never seen grass before. They all run and jump all over the place and have little lamb races! the hens are much more cautious but it still makes me happy to see them on fresh land.
DeleteMy chickens are free range the year round. They kill and eat snakes, insects of all kinds, especially scorpions. On the other hand, they destroyed all my wife's flowers and vines when we first got them, and they will liberally fertilize any vehicles parked under the trees they roost in! They are also a good security feature. If anything comes around at night, they raise hell, which gets the dogs up, which gets me up.
ReplyDeleteI have to keep them out the veg otherwise I'd never have anything left! We tried free range here but the fox is a bit too clever and has too many birds at one time. they have to be kept to pens now which is a shame as I liked having them around the place.
DeleteThey are lovely to watch when they are let out into new bigger areas aren't they. We need to let all ours out for a good expansive free range for a few weeks I think.
ReplyDeleteMy main pen needs some time away from the pen as it's full of mud. I do chuck them a bale of straw every now and again but it just sinks away.
DeleteFriends of ours who had a gooseberry saw fly problem swear by rhubarb leaves used as a mulch under the bushes, there bushes are now pest free.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have this problem thankfully.
Sounds like a good plan, not many things like rhubarb leaves. thanks for the tip.
DeleteI'm soon to dig our new veg patch and thinking it may be worth putting the chickens on it once I have turned the soil so they can eat the weed seeds and mulch in the manure- do you think this would be a good idea?
ReplyDeleteMiss Tulip x
The Thrifty Magpies Nest
I don't think it could do any harm. then only thing I'd watch is anywhere you're going to plant roots (carrots, parsnips, etc) as they don't like much muck and it can make them fork.
ReplyDeleteThey really do clear the weeds, eat the slugs and snail (plus the eggs) my blog post http://www.englishhomestead.com/2013/02/planting-cordons-part-one.html - shows the garden after the chickens have been on there for a winter and it was pretty weedy in the summer. I think it's a great way of working smarter not harder.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDo the chickens go after the aphids? We get aphids on our plants and they just make the plant so weak. I was thinking about having the garden sprayed down with pesticide. It would be so nice to just have chickens come through and clean it all up for me. http://www.accuratepestmanagement.com
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete