Moving Chickens into the Permaculture Orchard 1st Time- Step by Step

Moving Chickens into the Permaculture Orchard.
After the first couple of weeks with a predator pinball enclosure the chickens get moved into the permaculture orchard. Planning, order, tips and tricks.
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[@marieleopold1625]

Luved this vid Stefan! SoOOoo often you see chickens set-up in barren, ugly, dry pens...BUT THIS...is like paradise for them! WHAT a refreshing change! Only makes sense. God Bless you and yours!

[@doctorsnuggles9740]

J'ai un ami ingénieur agronome, qui sorti de ses études à travaillé pour l'INRA pendant 5 ans, puis n'a plus jamais touché à une carotte ou une salade tellement il était désabusé. Je lui ai fait découvrir ta chaîne il y a 1 an et cet hiver il a commencé à préparer une parcelle de son terrain pour y faire son potager. Merci pour lui, tu inspires beaucoup de monde et j'espère que tu vas continuer 💪

[@JDH_MUSIC]

Congrats on being featured on KZbin trending!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Cool. Let’s see what happens.

[@koaladelespace]

@@StefanSobkowiak discovered your channel through it. what an amazing discovery

[@HansQuistorff]

I have fewer chickens usually 5 In a 12 x 4 tractor which fits between my berry rows and plum trees. I do not use an outside fence just move the tractor daily. about an hour before sun set I take the soaked grain to the tractor. If I am going to work there I open the tractor so they cane work the edges. I like to make sure they sleep with a full crop and any they do not finish is on the new ground for the next day's work. The water hangs in the tractor so they only need one visit per day which I would need to do anyway to collect the eggs.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Sounds like a great setup. Keep it going. We started with pens that they were kept in but the extra space is great.

[@HerEcolife]

I love that you are putting out summer videos in winter :)

[@foxfriendzanimaltown9859]

I'm in favour of putting out summer videos in late winter but believe it would be also be better to include the approximate date that the video was actually filmed, for a moment I was like, "What the ? I thought I was in my subscriptions list, how come this is an old video?!"

[@jamesalanstephensmith7930]

I will now do this at my place, thanks!

[@valley3621]

I can't wait for spring.

[@Hatarue]

Can't wait to set up my permaculture orchard, got lots of blueberry naturally growing on my land.

[@honeycaffena4897]

So beautiful!!

[@kathmandu1575]

Excellent video - thanks!

[@samwilson3178]

Only found your channel today. Very informative. Greetings from Australia :)

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Welcome Sam. Lots to see, maybe some binge watching coming up.

[@thenextpoetician6328]

Just south of you in the finger lakes region of NY is the Edible Acres permaculture nursery. You're YT cousins. Did you know chickens can be voice trained? I raised broilers once and in the mix were some hens. They came to me like puppies for extra food because they were getting out-competed. They knew.

[@brianthian8449]

Can I please ask how you fertilise/mineralise your orchard given that the plastic will (I'm guessing) reduce the amount of mulch/minerals that have direct contact with the soil? Is it similar to what you did in your latest video about the vegetable beds where you add amendments to the lanes? Or does the nitrogen released from the roots of your Nitrogen fixers when prune supply enough fertility to the trees? Thanks! Love your work. :)

[@1ramadevi]

Do you have a video about making the chicken coop? Also wondering if chickens and ducks would forage together - any thoughts? Thanks a lot for your videos. I watched your permaculture orchard movie years ago and it was a big inspiration for creating my orchard. Now you are helping with more information for further steps! Thanks!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Fantastic you got started. Hope to do more on hens this summer. Chicken and ducks get along fine.

[@markchislett5548]

“Jungle fowls” 😆😆

[@nicholassteel5529]

Nice❤️✌️

[@aldas3831]

Great video Stephan! Do you overwinter the chickens or you get new every year?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

We are overwintering them for the first time, usually we just got new ones.

[@raphaelkrupinski7572]

Thank you for the inspiring video :) Did you need to trim the feathers to stop them from flying over the fence?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

No trimming needed since we move them at least once a week to a new area, they have good pasture and not looking for something better.

[@LadyRickie]

I found Lamb's Quarters. Now to taste.

[@annatuitjer5635]

2 Questions: ☺️ - How many times do you let the chicken roam the same strip of orchard ? Once a year? Less or more often? - how long do the chickens stay in one spot? I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL ❤️ Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪

[@StefanSobkowiak]

One week in one area max. They return every second year or longer. Zero diseases that way.

[@mjm7031]

Is this type of rotational grazing not considered to be free range? We’re looking at raising chickens in Quebec and I understood that free range wasn’t allowed, which I assumed would include this type of pasturing. I’m so glad I found your channel and website!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Free range just means they are not restricted to a cage. Pasture raised is far better because they have access to outdoors but often restricted to the same space. Pasture (orchard) rotated is closer to what we have. We don’t return the hens to the same piece of pasture for at least one year after they have been there.

[@mjm7031]

@@StefanSobkowiak Thanks very much for clarifying the distinction. This is very much what I would like to do. I was also reading recently some pieces of Quebec legislation that talked extensively about not allowing livestock waste to get into ground water, and needing to raise animals in pens with solid floors etc, which also made me think this rotational method wouldn’t be allowed … or even a “standard” chicken pen with space for them to peck in the dirt. If you ever want to do a video about how to identify what the rules are where you’re wanting to garden or farm, I would definitely be interested in some tips on how to find the right information! Thanks so much!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Better to ask for forgiveness than permission regarding sound animal practices. The big lobby doesn’t want to change so they put bars in wheels. Do what makes sense, nature has done this longer than farmers have.

[@18Bees]

Damn those chickens are lucky. Now i'm DEFINITELY getting chickens.

[@foxfriendzanimaltown9859]

I'm puzzled, I didn't know that any place in Canada was so warm in February?!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Haha filmed in June 2019

[@gardenerinthesand]

Hi Stefan. So the chickens eat grass but do they not also destroy some of the smaller plants under the trees?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Yes they eat the crop perennials but they come back very nicely.

[@heatherreddick4635]

Stefan, are your chickens all grass/forage fed only or do you have to provide supplemental feed? Also, how many SQFT of forage per chicken is needed?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Forage and feed. Needed and offered are two things. We don't aim for minimum so we give them a LOT of space (10000ft2 for a week for 20 hens). Maybe excessive but we get VERY happy and healthy chickens.

[@itsalife8280]

Where do you source your electric fences from? We're also in Canada and are having a hard time finding an affordable supplier.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Premier 1 supplies in Iowa. In Canada you can try : www.matelevage.com/en/electric-fencing

[@LadyRickie]

I passed onto friend who has escapee pet rabbits about the electric net fencing.

[@GvIn2it]

what is the 4 mil plastic doing? how is it laid out?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Used as a mulch. Laid under the trees with buried edges.

[@balazstivadar8631]

Do you give them anything else as food, or only what they find in the grass plus grit?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Balázs Tivadar they get a mixed grain local feed.

[@balazstivadar8631]

@@StefanSobkowiak Thank you!

[@rasitawinner8203]

Definitely keep moving them or they get more parasites internally in your hens, water is the most important things for hens

[@bhavens9149]

Question, my apricot started to bloom, and looks like we're getting a freeze Tomorrow night 31 predicted, I think that is just above 0 C, will that kill the blooms? its still pretty little, like 4 ft /1.3 meters wondering if I"m supposed to do something for it? None of the other fruit trees have blossoms yet, budding yes, but no blossoms. we've been having nights in the 40's for a while now, so I am worried about them if we have a freeze

[@StefanSobkowiak]

If it’s just 4’ you want it to freeze the blooms. If they don’t freeze just pull them off so the tree can grow bigger. Trees will favour fruit over growth so your tree can become stunted.

[@bhavens9149]

@@StefanSobkowiak Thanks you!

[@lindavandergiessen5741]

bugs beware!

[@christopheambroise9220]

je suis Français : c'est quoi "predator pinball" ?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Le pinball des prédateurs. Deux clôtures électrifiées espacés de 30cm lorsqu’on reçoit des poules neuves sur la ferme.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Regarde la vidéo de cette année sur le pâturage dynamique tournée en français en France.

[@shevekanarres2926]

Do you mean 40 mil plastic?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

No 4/1000 of an inch, so 4mil.

[@shevekanarres2926]

Thanks Stefan. Interesting, so the tarps are thinner than greenhouse plastic. But must be a tough material to hold up to walking etc.

[@opreapetru404]

you have very sweet blood for mosquito females mr Stefan

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Yes I do.

[@Chrisbell804]

Chickens are great! Only ducks will eat the slugs and snails.

[@thevancottfamily168]

Bob’s your uncle??? Huh?