Chickens at LV

 Chickens
If managed properly, chickens can be an important part of a permaculture system for people who want to eat eggs. By feeding our chickens kitchen and garden scraps, we are utilizing energy that would otherwise be wasted and turning it into eggs. The resulting chicken manure concentrates nutrients that allow us to fertilize specific sites and speeds up nutrient cycling, allowing us to grow more plants.  Our chickens spend most of their time in the chicken yard and are building up the soil in that area.  They are periodically allowed in other areas of the property to weed and eat insects.  

 
Our chickens enjoy their roost and yard
located adjacent to the sungarden and bordered with grapevines.

If chickens are allowed to roam freely, they will move mulch around and eat seeds or seedlings. Certain plants and the roots of perennials must be protected inside caged areas. In order to avoid buying chicken feed, the size of the flock is suited to the volume of food scraps and wild food that we have available.  Lost Valley does not currently have a rooster but could acquire or borrow one if chicks were desired to increase the flock size.