permaculture

[david cuthbertson <scienceinthegreen@yahoo.co.uk>]

Hi,
First I might try to think like a chicken to discover
what they would like to eat. If I were a chicken it
would be something nice, fat and juicy that tastes
real good! Second I would think like a bug. For a bug
to become nice and fat and juicy it will have to have
survived fom being eaten when it was little! Fruit
(that grows above pecking height!) is often visited by
bugs that only drop to the ground when fully
developed. I would also consider putting as much
rubbish down in the chicken run as possible in which
the little bugs can hide. Many bugs are just passing
through and will be looking for a place to hole up.
The better the hiding places, the more bugs for the
chickens. Visit your local trees and bushes with an
old umberella or sheet! Shake the contents of the
leafy branches onto the white sheet and see what drops
out. Find or make a heavy duty net to drag through the
undergrowth. Where do you find the best bugs? Can they
be planted in the chicken run? Can the chickens be
moved to the best bug areas? Remember the key to this
is sustainable harvesting. Chickens can strip an area
bare if you are not careful so be imaginative. Perhaps
include wire mesh enclosures inside the run where
plants can grow unmolested. These become safe havens
for the bugs. Observe! Use your imagination! Enjoy!
All the best,
David

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