Yearly Archives: 2015

Recycling Christmas Trees

REVISED! Only feed trees that you have cut yourself. Trees are often treated with colorants that are toxic to goats. Don’t risk it.

It’s that time of year when you, your friends and neighbors, are tossing out Christmas trees, In some towns they end up in the trash and are incinerated. Others go into the landfill. In our town they’re piled up at the DPW (Department of Public Works) where they’re eventually run through a chipping machine. I can barely make a dent in the mountain of discarded trees, but I do my small bit. Or, I should say that my animals do.

Steve filled the minivan with Christmas trees and brought them home.

trees

 

I gave one to the goats. Delicious.

goats eating

 

It makes for an aromatic scratching post.

ear scatch

 

I put a tree into the run with the Ladies. Phoebe was the first to boldly check it out.

first one

 

Twiggy, of course, was next.

Twiggy next

 

The Gems hesitated at their pop-door. The tree was new and scary, and besides, there was snow on the ground.

hesitation

 

But the tree was too enticing to resist.

pecking tree

 

It was interesting and tasty.

Amber

 

The trees provide diversion, get the hens outside and active, create a windbreak and give them something to peck at and eat. Once bare and used up, what’s left of trees will be tossed into the woods behind my house to become part of the forest floor. I haven’t solved the big picture problem of Christmas trees in landfills, but I’ve taken care of a small portion of it in my backyard.

Agatha and tree

X is for Fox

I bet you were wondering what chicken would be on this card. I think that the illustrator’s solution was quite clever (albeit a tad realistic!)

x

 

Keep hens long enough and you’ll have an X, whether it is by a fox, a neighbor’s dog, a hawk, or a weasel, a raccoon or a bear. The list of animals that want a chicken dinner is long. I’ve written numerous times about predator protection. Here’s one blogpost, and I have more on this FAQ about coop design criteria. Although once in a long while, a predator needs to be removed from the premises (I had a serious problem with a fearless and aggressive raccoon) in most cases, good fencing and management is more effective than trying to eliminate the predators.

xpoem

W is for Wyandotte

The Wyandotte is a popular hen. She’s a heavy, beautiful bird that lays brown eggs. This card shows the white plumage, but you can find them in so many pretty coats, including silver laced, partridge, penciled and splash. The Wyandotte has a rose comb, which is a pebbly-looking, low to the head affair, which makes her winter  hardy. No risk of frostbite.

W

 

In my experience, personality ranges from placid, to lethally dominant over meeker hens. It all depends on the breeder’s line.

w poem

 

Some go broody, some don’t. Tell me about your Wyandottes!

V is for Vessel

Themed alphabets get a bit challenging at the end. I think that what they did here is so creative. V is for vessel.

V

 

vpoem

 

I know that I’ve gone through my fair share of vessels. A hanging feeder for their daily ration of pellets keeps everything a lot tidier than a ceramic bowl on the ground. But, whenever I have yogurt or something else that’s messy and wet, I use an old dog bowl. I also have a lovely, hand-thrown ceramic dispenser that I use for grit. Do you have an unusual feeder for your hens?

Schedule

Snow is coming down and the roads are already slick. Phoebe is the only one delighted with the recent change from a mild winter to one with severe weather. Here is a screen shot of her, delighting in the season.

hencam1 (1)

 

Due to snow, the Gardening for Chicken Keepers talk for the Fitchburg Garden Club has been rescheduled for Friday, January 16 at 10 am. Hopefully the roads will be clear that day! Here’s a sample of one of the slides that I’ll be showing – the Girls making used of garden disasters. (Are you in a garden club? Let’s schedule my talk for your group!)

garden cleanup

 

The Poultry Congress is happening on January 17. I won’t be able to make it this year, but it’s an event that is worth putting on your calendar. To see what that extravaganza is all about, read this post, and this one (in which I hold a dinosaur.)

Thinking about spring chicks? I’ll be talking about Chicks and Brooders at the Chelmsford, MA Agway on February 7 at 11 am. The talk is free.

orpington chick

 

In March, I’ll be doing a program for Dover Sherborn Community Education and on April 2 I’ll be at Drumlin Farm, in Lincoln, MA.

Keep an eye on my events page for more upcoming programs.