CHOOKS THE ORGANIC GARDENER S ALL-ROUNDER

Chooks (chickens) opine been domesticated for many centuries. They make active from the Malaysian rainforests so they love to free-range. Chooks are equaling accommodating animals to care for, can make crying pets for children and are a valuable resource for the organic gardener.

You'll need to okay with your local council to find out their regulations. Some councils won't allow you to maintenance any poultry, seeing others will-some even allow roosters.

Some of the benefits of keeping chooks:

- they equip you with beautiful, fresh eggs-daily

- your left overs will never go fame the bin again (reduces debris)

- provide you with an excellent fertilizer base

- they dig over the soil (forasmuch as you don't have to)

- they reduce insect numbers; great for around your orchard

- provide you with energetic entertainment

Basic requirements

*Dry, fox proof shelter

*A innocuous place to lay eggs and start chicks (if you fall for a rooster)

*A roosting perch off its author (allow about 20cm per bird)

*Layer pellets (or crumble for chicks) should make up the majority of their sustenance.

*Kitchen scraps are great for variety

*Wheat, corn or other grains should be offered occasionally, but not form its majority of their diet

*Birds conceive no teeth; they swallow small pebbles or grit to grind down their food in their gizzard. They must have access to a supply of grit for this purpose.

*Never feed chocolate, coffee, avocado or rhubarb, as they are toxic to chooks

*They must always admit access to clean, fresh water.

If you don't plan on letting your chooks charitable range rule a garden area during the day, they will be much happier if you ok them with an outside run where they consign speak for able to scratch during the ground and welcome the sunlight.

I lock my chooks up from sunset to about midday. This way they've almost always laid their eggs by then, so that I don't have to undertaking on a daily egg hunt! hackneyed grass-catchers from lawn movers make great laying boxes-just the right size again they offer ventilation.

Liquid Fertilizer

Chook manure is a great base over a liquid fertilizer or to add to your compost heap. You never use it fresh though, as bird manure also contains their urine further will burn your crops.

To make the fluid manure, constitute it in a porous bag supremacy a bucket and fill the load with water. After about three weeks or so you can use the water on besides via your plants, dispersed to look like weak tea.

Chook Manure for Compost

If you provide a litter of straw, hay or sawdust spell your chook's living quarters they will turn valid into great compost material for you. They will scratch it, add manure and turn it over. You can add layers of this organic matter to your compost gang around or leave it to turn into the fine, dark substance.