It's been a good weekend, we've managed to get lots of little jobs done. Grease bands have been put on the on the fruit trees to try and stop insect damage to this years crop of eating apples, cooking apples, plums and cherries. Wood has been chopped, the house cleaned, seeds sorted and a basic idea gained of what needs planting first as soon as the days start to warm a little.
But the main job out on the hillside for Lovely Hubby was work in what will shortly become Chicken-land, an alternative to Chicken World. A new spot on the hillside in our baby orchard (full of young fruit trees not babies!!), where the chooks will be re-located while we re-grass and do some alterations to Chicken World. This Winter and all it's rain has been hard on the ground in Chicken World and it needs some serious repair work and improvements.
So over the weekend new fence posts have been hammered in, which highlighted the one good side to all the rain, it's meant getting posts in has been half the work it usually is for my big strong man, rain and mud mean nice soft ground to bash them into. He's made a nice level spot at the top of the slope where the alternative house will sit, the Fig trees have been given wire enclosures, which will hopefully discourage the chickens from pecking at them while they are there.
This will then become our second chicken area, by giving the ground a rest in each location a couple of times a year we will make it better for the chooks and safer for us.
Sue xx
I hope the figs and other fruits are spared...all in all, it sounds like a wonderful plan...I have no land or the ability to have chickens here, so I'm investigating container gardening as an alternative. I hope your cooks enjoy their new home.
ReplyDeleteWe have two fig trees as we love figs. I would love chooks but we want to travel a littlw when we first retire. Who knows maybe in the future.
ReplyDeleteSounds fabulous. We're in design stage for our Chickenville 2 so I watch with interest :)
ReplyDeleteNever heard of grease bands before, more food for thought as we inherited a small orchard with the place.
Always something to be done on the farm. Good job!
ReplyDeleteOur chickens are let out at dawn (or soon after) and they roam our fields - often three or four fields away from the farm house. As evening falls they make their way home and we shut them in as it gets dark. So far (touch wood) we have not lost one to a fox. If we did we may well have to change the way we treat them.
ReplyDeleteBe great to have fruit trees! My folks Bramley tree has supplied many crumbles the last few years.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe the amount of work and effort that you have put into your land and your home, in a really short time. It all looks brilliant! Well done,especially to your hard working hubby.
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