After Remus Nautilus, my beautiful black cat featured in another post (link below if you missed it) my beautiful rescue chickens were clucking for their new post. And honestly, they can cluck for England.
The beautiful black cat who gardens for England
So, I thought I would compile a new post featuring my fabulous rescue hens and their gardening antics.
As a result of Avian Flu, the girls had been confined to barracks until the eighteenth of April this year. So, clearly, they were desperate to come out and inspect the garden once the restrictions were lifted.
Once the great day dawned, I was ready to take a video and many photos as they raced out of the chicken run.
Besides some frantic nibbling of the grass, they ran up and down the lawn, stretching their wings and chattering.
Next, it was a coordinated and concerted slug and snail patrol. As a result, my emerging dahlias avoided being munched by the slimy creatures. The slugs and snails were well and truly munched!
Well done girls, fabulous work and great to see you back in the garden.
Gardening with beautiful rescue chickens
Once the girls were back in the garden, they popped up everywhere.
Here is Tallulah Tulip appearing from a border, eying up some nibbled leaves. Clearly, on high alert for the slimy culprits.
I laugh every time they pop their heads up from a border, their lovely expressions are fabulous.
Additionally, it is fantastic to have my entourage back, my beautiful rescue chickens racing along behind me as I move from one end of the garden to the other.
Naturally, they do not want to miss anything. For instance, if I am carrying a trowel, that means there will be some bare soil in a flower border.
Since bare soil needs a thorough chicken check, the feet and beaks instantly reach turbo charged speeds. As a result, the border is ready for replanting jolly quickly indeed.
Furthermore, the soil is weed free, loose and crumbly and may well have some free fertiliser too that I can scoop up for the compost bins.
Chicken droppings make great fertiliser, but they need to be composted first.
Droppings contain the perfect nutrients for garden plants as they are rich in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Another benefit of sharing our world with some fabulous hens.
Chickens in the family
I adopt rescue chickens, those that have finished commercial egg laying and are lucky enough to be rehomed. The charity I adopt my beautiful rescue chickens from is British Hen Welfare Trust and I can thoroughly recommend contacting them if you would like some chickens. Link below for more details.
After they have settled into their new home and understand where to go to bed at night, they can come out and explore the garden with you.
Usually, it takes a couple of weeks for them to get into their new routine and settle into their new home. Often, they need lifting into their hen house at bedtime for the first couple of days. In addition, it sometimes takes a day or two for them to understand that the nest boxes are cosy spaces where they can lay their eggs.
Once they are settled, they can come out and explore their garden, and then the fun begins.
Rescue hens are bred for docility, and you will find they are gentle, endearing, inquisitive, friendly and chock full of character.
If you do adopt some hens, they will soon be eating out of your hand and following you around the garden.
Planning our gardening day
Spending time with my lovely girls is fabulous. The photo above shows a typical chat when we meet up for a day of gardening and possibly a little sunbathing.
They bring me so much joy, laughter and entertainment through their inquisitive, endearing and absolutely life-enriching qualities.
I cannot imagine a garden without my beautiful rescue chickens now, even if they do dig a fourth dust bath in the lawn.
Right girls, lets group together and have a chat about that then.
Clearly, we should dig out some more lawn and have another flower border there then. Fantastic idea girls!
Additionally, more flower borders means space for more dahlias. Moreover, more flowers for pollinators to feed the hungry bees and butterflies.
Happy days!
All in all, my best days are spent pottering in the garden with my beautiful hens.
Time for a sunbathe
Ultimately, the sunshine, when it arrives, halts any gardening tasks. Some feet can be merrily scratching away in a flower border and then the sun’s rays make an appearance.
Immediately, the soil excavation is put on hold and there is a speedy dash onto the lawn. Swiftly followed by a flop down, some wing spreading and a leg and foot stretch.
Letitia Lettuce is always the first to assume the sunbathing position and can be seen in the photo above, in her elegant sunbathing pose.
Naturally, I have to stop to watch and take some photos.
I then ought to deadhead three hundred and fifty dahlias. Maybe after another gaze at the girls and twenty more photos.
Relaxing in the garden
After a vigorous deadheading of dahlias for one of us and some exuberant weeding of the flower borders plus snail patrol for the rest of us, it was time for a flop down in the sunshine.
Usually, Rafaela Rooster, who believes she is a rooster, and who am I to argue, is first up for a cuddle. Next, it is whoever jumps up next to tag a space. In the photo, Sophia on her Soapbox, who clucks for England, is joined by Tansy Teapot, who likes a leg perch.
Naturally, I could see some more flowers needing a deadheading in the nearest flower border. However, it is so important to stop and relax sometimes.
I believe that we all need to relax more and engage with our surroundings. Once we stop for a while, and really look at what we have created, our wellbeing will get a well earned boost.
Accordingly, relaxing with family, friends, or in my case, often with my lovely hens and cats, that boost can be turbo charged.
My earlier post Wonderful powers of a flower tells my story about how I boosted my wellbeing and learnt to relax and enjoy the garden I had created. Naturally, my beautiful rescue chickens have a starring role, alongside my beautiful cat, Remus Nautilus.
Chicken reading
Finally, some books I enjoy, as do my girls it seems. Pixie Pantaloon can be seen above, checking out the selection on the lawn.
I have a fabulous book called Gardening with Chickens by Lisa Steele. This is a great read for any gardener considering chickens or a chicken keeper considering a garden. There are great plans and themes for gardens such as the nesting box herb garden and edible flower garden. Link below if you are interested
Next, I have chosen How to Speak Chicken by Melissa Caughey. A fabulously entertaining book but also giving a valuable insight into how chickens communicate and interact. I have pasted the link below if the book is of interest.
The final book in this selection is one I have mentioned in earlier posts. Gardening for Mind, Body and Soul by Annie Burdick.
A gem of a book for a gardener or anyone who may wish to start gardening. The book has some beautiful photographs and is split into different topics. Gardening for physical health, gardening for the senses and gardening for mental and spiritual wellness.
A practical and inspiring book which helped me through a rough time. Of course, my fabulous and totally beautiful rescue chickens helped me too. Link below if you are interested.
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Time to let the girls out and dig out another border, I think. I hope you have enjoyed reading this post about my fabulous chickens.
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