I can't imagine my garden without my small flock of chickens free ranging. Even though they may interrupt what I am doing, like they did over the weekend. My raking was put on hold while Nova settled down for a spot of sun bathing. She's looking rather bedraggled as she's moulting. She's some bald patches as well as parts where her new pin feathers are coming through.
As I carried on raking elsewhere another garden helper showed up, a magpie who's taken to sleeping under the patio. Both the chickens and magpie follow me around for the same reason, raking stirs up insects, which means tasty treats.
After I completed the raking of the back garden I decided I was going to clean the chickens mirror. They love to gaze at their reflections each morning after grooming.
Trouble was they had all decided to settle down here for a group sunbathing session.
So I left them be, content to sit nearby watching them.
My girls are extremely close, there's seldom any bickering between them. It brings me endless joy knowing they live free lives. They have a garden to wander each and every day, never confined to a cage or small enclosure. Over the years various people have suggested that I keep them confined, obviously this advice went ignored. I can't imagine having depressed chickens locked up in a coop for their entire existence.
They might eat some plants and dig little furrows everywhere, but they also keep the garden healthy by eating bugs, snails and even an occasional mouse if they find one.
Mostly though, they bring happiness...
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