Friday Favorite: Little Nuggets
It is that season for baby birds. I have turkey cutlets and chicken nuggets running around the garden and mama duck is sitting on a nest of 10 eggs. I’m always trying to figure out just who will be allowed to sit and how many eggs I’ll allow. If you’re not careful you can end up with an army of new birds that need feed and watered.
Around here, birds hatch their clutches in the coops with the rest of the birds and the little ones are running around outside and among the bird birds from day one. It works out very well, it saves me a ton of time and the mama birds get to do what they want to do. I love that I never have to brood chicks and that I don’t have to worry about integrating new birds. It all just falls into place naturally.
Any little birds, wild or domesticated, in your garden?
Filed under Around the Garden, Feathered & Furred | Comments (4)
Our broody hen has been sitting on a clutch of unfertilized eggs for the last three weeks. Yesterday we bought 3 baby chicks and swapped them out for the eggs underneath her. All seems to be well and I’m excited to not have to raise them indoors this year.
to Kristin's comment
Ooh -good idea Kristin. I have two broody hens but no rooster so they were sitting in vain. That sounds like a great idea! Aside from that, I’ve been trying to keep the chickens out of the garden. They love to take their dust baths in my tomato bed.
to Kristen's comment
Our chicks are 11 weeks old tomorrow, so not the tiny balls of fluff that you have! We haven’t completely free-ranged them yet, but they’ve started escaping the low walls of their run, so it might be time!
to Kirsten's comment
Susy, I saw the new wild turkey pullets a couple weeks ago. They were all walking in a line between the two adult turkeys. The wild turkeys are around but the population seems to be down from five years ago when I started working Terra Nova Gardens. There’s still no bug problem at Terra Nova Gardens and I’m hoping that building the fences hasn’t stopped the bug harvesting.
Have a great natural pullet raising day.
to Nebraska Dave's comment