Is there a more joyful sight than chickens pottering around the garden on a warm sunny day? With gardens blooming, now’s the perfect time to think about creating a hen-friendly space which looks great and both you and your feathered friends can enjoy.
SAFE SPACE
It’s wonderful to watch your flock explore the garden, but it’s best to keep hens in a fixed and secure run when unsupervised to protect them from predators. This has the added benefit of preserving your precious planted areas when you’re not around to keep a watchful eye.
Adding some greenery around and inside the run is a good way to make sure your hens don’t miss out on the fun. Plant climbers such as clematis and honeysuckle at the base of the fence to grow up alongside it, and if there’s room in the run, add some fruit trees and bushes. This creates areas of interest as well as shade and the occasional tasty treat.
PERFECT PLANTING
It won’t come as a surprise that there are lots of plants that hens like to eat. Herbs are especially tasty to hens, and some even have added benefits. These include comfrey (a source of protein and calcium), rosemary (helps to repel nasty insects), thyme (good for their respiratory system), sage (an antioxidant) and lavender (can be calming). Hens also enjoy foraging vegetables such as chard and fennel.
Aside from veg and herbs, chickens do like to nibble on grass. In fact, if you have too many free-ranging around a small garden, it may not stay green for too long! Please be sure to read our advice on grass clippings below.
PROBLEM PLANTS
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Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av The Country Smallholder.
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How to Buy a Smallholding in France- Long-time smallholder Lorraine Turnbull looks at the practicalities of moving to rural France
Aspiring smallholders are continually thwarted by the prices of smallholdings and property with land located within the UK. Even the humblest croft in Scotland comes with a substantial price tag and conditions which would make even an adventurous wannabee consider carefully. But all is not lost. For those willing to take the adventure of a lifetime, there is always Europe, and one of the most popular places is France.
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These capricious animals are hard workers preserving the natural habitat
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If you look and listen you might be able to see them preparing to leave says The RSPB
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Claire Waring advises on doing the best to make sure your colonies survive until next spring
Preparing the Veg Patch for Winter
Lee Senior says, a well-run plot can excitingly continue to produce good quality, tasty, fresh food for much of winter
Time to prepare to plant your orchard
Wade Muggleton, smallholder and author of The Orchard Book, shares his practical experience so you can create your own fruit collection
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As autumn approaches, Joanna Palmer, nutritionist at the Smallholder Range, offers advice on choosing the right feed to support your adult birds through their annual moult and ensure your young birds grow and finish well at this time of the year.
Vet advice from an experienced poultry vet
Reflecting on how much the humble hen has helped people world wide plus advice on stopping the scourge of red mite
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Paul Donovan looks at the right and wrong ways of handling birds
