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    Mudrakers
    November 9, 2009

    Jessi Loerch (click to enlarge)
    The hens work on the clearing out the bits of grass and debris left in the garden.
     
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    Chickens take over garden cleanup


    Posted at 1:05 pm by Jessi Loerch

    I am not a tidy person. You can see that in my house, and you can see it in my garden.

    So, recently I was out in the garden, long after everything was past its prime, forcing myself to do some maintenance. In my backyard, I have two raised beds, surrounded by a wire fence to keep out the hens.

    On one of my trips in and out of the garden, I left the fence open. As I worked to keep the strawberries in the space I believe they deserve, the hens slipped in behind me. By the time I noticed them (I swear they were being quiet in fear of me kicking them out) they had already cleared a good section of garden for me. I decided I would leave the work to them. I finished up the work on the strawberries, and left the grass and random other bits for the hens.

    They clearly love working on the garden, and that's just fine with me. Since then I've left the gate open, they've done a nice job of clearing and fluffing up the soil. They've also nibbled a bit on my kale, but I've decided that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

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