'plants & poultry'
Curiosity killed the cat according to the saying, however curiosity is but an appetite for knowledge, and this led me to purchase a trail camera..... at least that's my excuse. I know that foxes visit the chicken pens, in fact if you follow this blog you will have read about various trials and tribulations I've …
Continue reading "Vixen drops by to check I’ve locked up – Trail Camera"
Like most livestock or pure breeds of animal, they are frequent sold according to a level of criteria they meet, and in this respect chickens are no different. Show Quality Stock By definition, an example of a breed that is deemed as being of show or exhibition quality is a bird that exhibits all …
“‘Now that the growing season has started are there any ornamental plants I can grow that my chickens can benefit from?” There are a number of garden ornamentals that make great grain and seed providers for your flock come the autumn, but put on a stunning display during the main of the growing season. Sunflowers …
Following a recent exchange on Twitter this still seems very current, with the ignorance (and in some respects, arrogance) of so-called experienced poultry keepers not quite getting the concept of livestock, and what you put in, will invariably come out.
Smack your chick up?
I’m quite vocal at times about the contrast between commercial poultry rearing and small scale or backyard keeping. I can be quite damning about some the legislation because I’m a great believer that in a large majority of cases one size doesn’t fit all. In fact the concept of one size fitting all seems to stem from the issue that pragmatism and scalability get side-lined. This is either because they are too expensive or are only relevant to ‘the little people’ who, by definition, are irrelevant in the grand scheme of the poultry world!
It follows on then that given my documented opinions I am sometimes challenged by people as to whether my attitude stems from a belief that small scale poultry keepers know better than the big boys and the authorities, or whether I’m just an outspoken idiot. I guess when I put these commentaries…
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Last year I predicted this threat could well become a reality in terms of keeping birds indoors and under cover for 6 months of the year. I didn't want to imagine it could become a year round issue. There will be some tough decisions and tough times ahead for backyarders, the Fancy and poultry shows …
A free ranging poultry flock foraging for itself is a wonderful sight to see. By this I don’t mean the mega flocks of the commercial egg production units, but the smaller flocks you find on small holdings and larger gardens. Granted not everyone has the space to free range, or others find the conflict between …
In normal circumstances I welcome broody chickens with open arms (although given the manner of some of my broodies I mean that metaphorically as you would be lucky to get anywhere near them!) However during the late summer months, and in particular during July and August, it can be a real problem if you find …
