Naughty Bad Chickens

This week I really hated my chickens.

Almost to the point of making the world’s largest batch of chicken noodle soup. Really.

The chickens are usually very good about eating pesky bugs, but a few of the newer hens are REALLY bad about getting into fruits and veggies. I mean they actually plot how they will get to things.

Like these blueberries.

Since when do chickens climb for Pete’s sake?

Hens Climbing Blueberry Bush

When I spotted these two back by the melon beds I wondered what trouble this naughty hen could be leading this poor stupid rooster into. Did they find a hidden cache of yummy, crunchy bugs?

What ARE These Two up To?

And then I saw what they were eating. It was not bugs it was…

Heirloom Melons Pecked to Death

NOOOOO!!!!!

D*mn birds. Not ONE little baby melon was left unharmed. It wasn’t just these two scatterbrained birds. Oh no, they were just the two that got busted for this heinous crime against vining fruits. There was plenty of melon-ary evidence scattered about the pasture and dry lot.

The vines were trampled and all young fruits destroyed. With the help of child#3 we did what we could to salvage the last three vines and we caged them.

Fencing in the Melons

I hope we get to taste at least ONE home grown melon this year!

As of this writing those three vines are still loaded with flowers, but I should probably go check on them to make sure. You never know what those darn chickens have up their sleeves.

A cyber-pal and I were chatting on Facebook about roosters in the north getting frostbite, and the damage it can do to their combs. In reality their combs do freeze, with the tips on big combs turning black and falling off. It doesn’t seem to bother the roosters at all, they just don’t look quite as impressive with their new smooth combs.

Here is our solution to the problem…

Can't...Scratch...

Because the herb garden is currently frozen, useless and pretty darn boring, in my last post I talked about my compost making chickens .

Someone emailed and asked me why I kept the chickens hostage in the barn and didn’t just turn them loose in the yard to scratch around.  Good question!

Answer:

When there is snow cover, there is nothing for them to scratch around in. Open the barn door to the snowy world outside and they just look at you like you are an idiot. They don’t want to go out in the snow. My chickens are wimps.

With temperatures in the low 30′s the snow has been melting off for two days, but the ground remains frozen solid.  Yesterday we had sleet and rain and now the chickens want to go out. They really aren’t that smart either.

Even thought they can see the ground there still isn’t anything to scratch around in, so I take pity and throw some scratch feed (mixed cracked corn and grains) around for them.  They peck at it, but cannot scratch around in it. They just slog around in icy cold water.

Frozen Ground, Sad Chickens

Poor confused chickens. I think they should go back to the barn and make more compost.

.

chickens hard at work

Chickens are the best little compost helpers ever!

I love the way these silly birds peck and scratch…unless it’s in my newly planted plants. Then it’s not so cute.

In the winter when the weather is bad the chickens hang out in the barn. With no cable or internet they get pretty bored and just sit around with their feathers all puffed up to keep warm. It’s kind of sad.

Since I have been deep bedding my animals, these sad birds seem less lethargic and are much happier chickens. I think.

What?! I'm working!

Deep bedding is just a matter of laying more bedding down on top of the old, and as the underneath stuff composts it produces heat.

Did you know that you can even heat greenhouse grow beds with composting bedding?

Yep, it’s true and it works beautifully.

So the compost-making-chickens do their part by cheerfully scratching around in the bedding looking for seeds and…whatever.  When snow covers the ground, I pull some bedding out of the stalls  into the aisle every week to keep them happily scratching and out of the bunny/goat/horse feed. This drives daughter #2 mad. The aisle should be spotless.

Ummm, it’s a BARN.

Heidi Supervises the Chickens

If I rake the stall muck up into a pile in the morning, they’ll have it trashed and all over the place by late afternoon. Sort of like a dorm room filled with a bunch of partying college kids 4 minutes after finals.

The system really works well though! I keep fairly fit with obsessive compulsive raking, and the chickens stay busy and out of trouble. Best part? Each time they scratch it breaks down more material and they even lay eggs because they are so thrilled with the arrangement!

I love that the big pile of barn bedding becomes a mere wheelbarrow load of mixed garden composting goodness in a week, and I have to admit getting that one load out to the compost pile is easier than having to make a bunch of trips.

Go chickens!

Pretty Little Bouquet

The white  lilacs in it smell heavenly and I think the little hen on the mug resembles ‘Saucy’ the hen strolling just beyond in the garden.

Thanks for the nice surprise, Nancy!

I love my pals