F*$%ing chickens!

austin87 · Jul 30, 2017

my mom has 3 chickens and all spring and summer they've left the plants alone, even when they were seedlings. They nipped EVERYTHING off the bottom of my overwinter bhutlah, and scratched up the raised bed and dug one plant almost out of the ground.

Pics coming:

austin87 · Jul 30, 2017

A few days ago:

Today:

austin87 · Jul 30, 2017

So how I do I keep these little bastards off my plant? For the raised bed I'll enclose it, but the birds get free range of the yard - they are happy chickens and the eggs are amazing, but there isn't a place I can put the plant in the sun where they can't get to it.

Edit: chicken dinner, unfortunately, is off the table

Guatemalan Insanity Pepper · Jul 30, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmHeu9An16o

that's a bummer man

i kinda think the shape of the plant looks better now though

on another note...

how they do this ? :shocked:

lek · Jul 30, 2017

how about randomly put a lot of popsicle sticks into the soil. each stick should have different height above the soil.

OCD Chilehead · Jul 30, 2017

Sorry to hear about the plants. There must have been some bugs on the plant. I had chickens once, they did the same thing, but would jump up on the plants and claw at them. Upon further inspection of the aftermath. The plants had little green worms all over them. Some chicken wire around the pots might help. Its cheap.

austin87 · Jul 31, 2017

lek said:
how about randomly put a lot of popsicle sticks into the soil. each stick should have different height above the soil.

I think this or some small dowels that are pointy and poke away from the base of the plant will keep them away.

OCD Chilehead said:
Sorry to hear about the plants. There must have been some bugs on the plant. I had chickens once, they did the same thing, but would jump up on the plants and claw at them. Upon further inspection of the aftermath. The plants had little green worms all over them. Some chicken wire around the pots might help. Its cheap.

I thought this too bit I've been preventative with AzaMax and other organic pest stuff. There are a couple ants on the plant (I've checked for aphid farming, I'm good there) but I don't know if they eat ants... Anything bigger definitely (pill bugs used to coat the bottom of the pool, since the chickens there are NO pill bugs in the pool, they eat them ALL) but not sure about ants.

austin87 · Jul 31, 2017

Guatemalan Insanity Pepper said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmHeu9An16o

that's a bummer man
i kinda think the shape of the plant looks better now though

on another note...

how they do this ?

I like the shape too, but those lower branches had a lot of flowers! Question: should I clip the lowest branches below the canopy? The ones growing about halfway up the stem?

Guatemalan Insanity Pepper · Jul 31, 2017

austin87 said:
I like the shape too, but those lower branches had a lot of flowers! Question: should I clip the lowest branches below the canopy? The ones growing about halfway up the stem?

yeah thats a bummer that they tore up the lower part

, but better when it was just flowers then if it were loaded up with pods on those lower branches that you'd been eagerly watching grow

no real need to clip those lowest branch other than aesthetics

it wont hurt the plant to clip them though, and imo the plant will have a nicer shape if you did

:cheers:

austin87 · Jul 31, 2017

Guatemalan Insanity Pepper said:
yeah thats a bummer that they tore up the lower part , but better when it was just flowers then if it were loaded up with pods on those lower branches that you'd been eagerly watching grow

no real need to clip those lowest branch other than aesthetics

it wont hurt the plant to clip them though, and imo the plant will have a nicer shape if you did

Oh they got some pods. They we on the bottom of the upper canopy. Small but got some.

I'll probably clip them as I agree on the shape. Do peppers get "suckers" the same way that rose bushes do? Wondering if the lower branches are taking away from growth/production of the canopy.

Edmick · Jul 31, 2017

I have six chickens. They will destroy your garden all the way down to dirt. Just put chicken wire around the plants.

moruga welder · Jul 31, 2017

!

Guatemalan Insanity Pepper said:
yeah thats a bummer that they tore up the lower part , but better when it was just flowers then if it were loaded up with pods on those lower branches that you'd been eagerly watching grow

no real need to clip those lowest branch other than aesthetics

it wont hurt the plant to clip them though, and imo the plant will have a nicer shape if you did

Justosmo · Jul 31, 2017

You sure it isn't a tomato horn worm hiding I there? I have six free range chickens that chill around my plants and never once have touched the leaves.

austin87 · Jul 31, 2017

Justosmo said:
You sure it isn't a tomato horn worm hiding I there? I have six free range chickens that chill around my plants and never once have touched the leaves.

I don't think so but I'll certainly give it another look!

Gonzo · Jul 31, 2017

Haha man i love chickens. We had pet chickens. My one friend down the street also had pet chickens. His dad had this chicken that had his own little tiny glass when he drank beer the chicken would also get beer.That chicken grew super big,easily 3 times the size of a normal chicken.

I have chickens,about 5 of them that visit from a nearby smallholdings they come everyday,they walk about 900m to come lay in the garden and warm sand.

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