Aghh! Henpecked


I returned from my nice relaxing Sunday afternoon and uploaded my photos and previous post.It was such a nice day I had left the hens out in the garden while I was away.
I went out to put them in for the night and was stopped in my tracks!
My lazy housewife beans given to me by matron over on veggies only blog, which had climbed their pole after a slow start were romping away when I put them out yesterday morning, they had grown bushy and green around the top of pot before climbing began.
They have been out every day and the hens paid no attention to them as I had watched carefully, what changed yesterday I do not know.
They could not reach the top growth and I can only hope they recover enough to provide seeds for next year, I had kept them at home not wanting to risk them out on the plot in case of wind damage!
Matron if you are reading this my apologies and I am sure you are nodding sagely and saying I did try to warn you!

This is entirely my own fault as I knew they had a liking for lupins!
I bought this Manhattan Lights lupin when we were at Bloom in Dublin.My sister Kathleen and myself took turns toting it around for the day and minding it!


I knew they liked crocosima (Montbretia) but did not mind as this grows like a weed all over the place


I knew they fancied lupins, these have been denuded of their leaves and I even saw one jumping up to get the higher up leaves!


Remember my mutant beans?
They have been growing well and the sprouted stem had at last turned green and less brittle.They were being hardened off each day before going out to their final resting place on the plot.The hens have not bothered with them before and last night when taking them in I thought there was slug damage to quite a few leaves before the penny dropped it was the hens having a nibble. Maybe I disturbed them when I came home and saved them from further mutilation.

This flower bed stone was a cushion of purple campanula prehens!
They are in now each day while the plants are out and the greenhouse flap is up.When the plants go in the hens come out.
I will have to reorganise their domain and soon.

Comments

Matron said…
Eeeek! Chickens and vegetable gardens don't mix well do they? All might not be lost, I have found that vegetable plants have remarkable regeneration abilities. They might look bad now, but I suspect that shoots will spring up from somewhere! Chicken for dinner tonight?
June 27, 2011 at 9:40 PM
Betty said…
I had no idea hens like those flowers, but I don't know much about hens either.

My Aunts had alot of chickens and I tried to stay away from them. For some reason they always chased after me when they saw me.
June 27, 2011 at 10:12 PM
Anonymous said…
When I first got my hens my seedlings suffered the same fate as yours, now the chickens have there own run at the back of the hen house to stop them eating all the veges before I can get to them! They must have waited till you had gone out to eat the beans:)
June 28, 2011 at 3:19 AM
Jason Dingley said…
Naughty chickens. Mine occasionally escape their enclosure. When I see them pecking at the back door my heart skips in anticipation for what has been eaten.
June 28, 2011 at 4:42 AM
Kelli said…
Very naughty hens! Sure it felt like a hen-hurricane had wiped out your plants in a day! Shame on them.
June 28, 2011 at 8:54 AM
Kathleen said…
You will have to ground them for bad behaviour,that poor lupin!Thought it will probably recover,the slugs did as much damage to mine and it survived!
June 28, 2011 at 10:23 AM
Ann said…
Oh dear, those naughty hens!!! I had to smile though, I can just imagine your face when you saw what they had done! I bet they enjoyed themselves though.
June 28, 2011 at 6:49 PM
Latane Barton said…
Those naughty chickens!!! I'd punish them by putting them back in the hen house. We had chickens once and they were such pests. But, we enjoyed their eggs so I guess it was about even.
June 28, 2011 at 10:24 PM
Barbarapc said…
What wicked girls! When I first saw the lupin, I thought, what a cool plant, grass like leaves and lupin-like flowers....oh how sad. I suppose they are from the pea family, and if the ladies have taken a fancy to their veggies. Next time, if there is a next time, I'd bring out the stock pot as a threat.
June 30, 2011 at 7:42 PM
littlekarstar said…
Oh no! Those dastardly hens with their fickle tastebuds! How often I've seen that in my yard too followed by empty threats to end free ranging...!
July 2, 2011 at 12:56 AM
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