For weeks I have been trying to keep them in a large pen, which will become a small orchard by next Spring. They scratch up the weeds, fertilize, and eat pests. The orchard space adjoins the front door of their coop where we lock them in at night to protect them from varmints. I let them out into the 50ft by 16 ft orchard space during the day. I thought they would be happy to be in a grassy field with all the food and water they could want. But, alas, I underestimated the dark designs of this perfidious fowl!
One of the chicken's dirty little secrets is that they love to scratch freshly tilled soil...they especially love to scratch freshly tilled soil that has a thick layer of straw mulch upon it. They like, even more, to scratch freshly tilled and mulched soil that has tender young broccoli plants started in it. 72 broccoli plants actually. Well now about 52.
So, being beaten in my efforts to keep the chickens in a yard, I have had to do some refencing in order to keep the chickens OUT of the garden. Better to keep them out of the garden than in a cage no matter how large it is I guess is their philosophy.
The battle raged on this morning, amidst dark, cloudy skies, 40 degrees, and 30 mile an hour winds...(55 and sunny huh weatherman?). But I think I finally have won the battle. As soon as the project is complete and everything spruced up a bit, I'll post some pictures.
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