Backyard Poultry Forum

Look what I came home to this afternoon. The ACT had a flash storm - lots of trees down across the whole area.
The previous owner of our place planted 2 gum trees in one hole on the top of the hill behind our house. Great for shade - until one splits in the wind.
There were 4 pens under this one. Luckily only one was inhabited and there were no chooky casualties. Mum had the chicks out exploring when I got home. They are now safely rehoused.
Tomorrow looks like a day with the chain saw. We won't need to buy firewood for a while once this has seasoned.

Oh no! Sorry Sue! Good to see you looking on the positive side. More people should be that way!

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Oh no!

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NellyG ........................

Jeepers! Glad no-one, feathered or otherwise, was hurt.

The wind and rain was indeed mad.... Was almost like a hurricane where I was. Glad I wasn't driving when it hit.

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Cheerio, Rach
Blue Swedish Ducks

This was no. 7 split on this hill - all, 2 trees planted in 1 hole and very shallow soil, and the trees still grew huge. Not a good idea for Eucalypts. We had one cut down rather than it ending up in bed with us. 4 to go. I'm very cautious walking there in windy weather and try to consider their probable direction of fall when locating new pens. I am working on replacing them with more wind and fire friendly species.

Ouchies - it's a bit like the good luck and the bad luck stories. Must have been some wind in your area: saw the dramatic (and predictable) trampoline on the News. More distressing I heard (but did not see on TV) about some eucs that went down near Parliament House - if the ones I recall they were beautiful white barked brittle-gums.

We just had two massive euc branches come down in calm weather as they do: one on the front fence with two ponies nearby, and one on the feed-shed roof which bounced onto the side fence where there were two sheep in a yard just a couple of metres away. Extreme lucky, could have been disaster but no real harm done beyond some emergency fence repairs.

Oak trees sue55?? - not as slow growing as their myth, very strong deep tap-roots, good fire retardant and super shade. (Maybe truffle innoculated as a long-term plan).

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PC

Eucalypts are beautiful but so unpredictable. They can do a lot of damage. I had to go off road around a tree on the exit ramp from Federal Hwy on the way home.
Much of the controversy over Canberra's new Light Rail centres over the Manniferas' on Northbourne Ave which will go. It is sad to see how many are marked.

Oaks - yes. Mine are started from freebie acorns and are growing faster than turtles run.
Truffles - no. They do well locally but require a massive input of lime which would throw every thing else out, although I have used heaps as a spot treatment to kill the invasive Sorrel.
I have a couple of potted Avocados waiting to go in - now have the spot. Hopefully the tanks will modify the micro climate enough for them to at least survive. Have my first successful (loaded with fruit) passionfruit growing on one of the tanks. Hoping that there is enough Summer left for them to ripen.

Sorry Sue,

And I so loved your Engineer / Hippy thread. What is the damage there?
But you will cope!

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Small free-range flock of Croad Langshans
http://croadlangshan.org/

Thanks globi. The biggest pen (long time temporary) has been resurrected. The other 3 were smaller broody hutches - not really worth salvaging (gone behind th' shed for spare parts).

The engineer however, has been working on another project - pics to follow

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Small free-range flock of Croad Langshans
http://croadlangshan.org/

This is what I got to wake up to this morning! Has completely crushed the new fence I put in during the winter!
Have cleaned it up with the saw this morning. Should be able to repair on the weekend. Farm life hey haha.

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Ooops. It is two steps forwards and one backwards, isn't it.
I have so much respect for the pioneers. Their lives must really have been 'blood, sweat and tears'.