Chickens for bug control and food recycling.

Beekissed · Jun 21, 2017

Looks like I have brown rot fungus on my peaches and peach trees and the JBs are chewing their way through my early transparent apples right now, so I'm not looking for much of a fruit harvest here. I'm not too worried, as the apple harvest all over the state is going to be massive, so I can go forage for apples...and they will be mountain apples, so taste better than anything we can grow here.

Been reading up on the brown rot fungus and prevention methods for it....I'll need to do some pruning this fall and also treat with Neem oil during and after blossom time, then again at fruit ripening time.

I put out JB traps this morning, in hopes of stemming the tide. I'll try to remember to have them out BEFORE this hatch happens if I'm still here next season.

The good thing about dogs and chickens is that any diseased fruit is quickly consumed when it's dropped to the ground and the JB traps will be emptied later on as a feast for the flock....it's all nutrition that turns into eggs and meat here, so not a total loss.

seedcorn · Jun 21, 2017

My lazy, entitled chickens never touched JB's.

Beekissed · Jun 21, 2017

seedcorn said:
My lazy, entitled chickens never touched JB's.

Mine will get them if they find them low enough and they will eat them like Pez if I empty the traps out on the ground for them...crunch, crunch, crunch...makes my spine crawl, that sound. :sick

PennyJo · Jun 22, 2017

Having a devil of time there are 5 9 to 11 month old birds in the new coop 4 of them want to sleep in bramble
of blackberry outside the coop got them in with meal worms shut the door but unsure how to proceed :hide

ducks4you · Jun 22, 2017

PennyJo said:
Having a devil of time there are 5 9 to 11 month old birds in the new coop 4 of them want to sleep in bramble
of blackberry outside the coop got them in with meal worms shut the door but unsure how to proceed

Get a fishing net to catch them one at a time and shove them inside the coop shutting it after each bird. Keep the door(s) shut until the morning. One week of this and your girls will get with the program. Been there, done that. They are like little kids. YOU are bigger so you can push them around.

Ridgerunner · Jun 22, 2017

Are those the only chickens in that coop? If there are others, are they integrated?

Can you leave them locked in the new coop for a week or so to see if they accept it as a place to roost? That doesn't always work with mine but it's a fairly low energy type of possible solution. Can you lure them into the coop before dark and slam the door on their butts? Try to get them on the habit of sleeping in there. I generally just toss them or herd them in the coop after dark (a flashlight can help), they eventually get the message. I'm not grabbing them out of blackberries in the dark to toss them though, that could hurt.

Beekissed · Jun 22, 2017

I agree...locking them up to the coop for a week usually works for me. After that, feeding them in the evening, right before roosting, can get them in the coop for you before dark. After awhile it gets to be routine to just go to the coop each evening.

PennyJo · Jun 23, 2017

kept them in a few days had them inside when I called them with food they do not know allot of treats trying to clue them in on super goodies like meal worms or broccoli or cauliflower..
they did run to me twice today

journey11 · Jul 1, 2017

The new chicks started hatching out Tuesday, a bit early. Of 2 dozen eggs, only 6 hatched out. I think keeping the broodies together in pairs may have caused them to jostle the eggs too much. They do co-parent well though. One is a neurotic helicopter mama and the other is laid back and calm. I have to wear welding gloves to put feed or water in the pen or pick up the chicks. Helicopter mom is mean, comes at you like a fighting rooster!