For the last three years we have been waging a constant war against the Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos. Every year they come through and strip our trees of apples well before the fruit is ready to be harvested. They come through, crack the immature fruit open with their powerful beaks and eat the seeds, dropping the rest of the apple on to the ground below. What fruit they don't crack open, they generally knock off the tree.
Whatever we tried, they beat us.......netting the trees was difficult and swearing, although it made me feel better, didn't have any affect on the birds! The flocks grew from 3 or 4, to 6 or 8, and last season I counted 22 feasting on the apple pips.
I had had enough, so back in September I contacted Dave from Key Permaculture & Constructions and asked him to help end my feathered frustrations. After only a few conversations, Dave offered a permanent solution for my orchard, and I said yes. On Monday everything was delivered, and on Tuesday the work commenced.
The weather this past week hasn't been the best, but Dave and Clare, with the help of Russell, worked around the showers to get most of the frame up by the end of the second day.
The size of the structure is 14m wide by 24m long, (and apart from four trees), it covers my entire orchard.
By late this afternoon it was completed.
The sides have chicken mesh up so far, which lets the small insect eating birds in and out, and then high grade netting over the top.
And because I am going to use it as an enclosure for our chooks, it had to be fox proof as well. The netting coves out and on to the lawn, where it is pegged down. Eventually the grass will grow through the mesh.
There is a door at top for easy access, complete with a concrete pad.
And a large sliding door at the bottom for extra access.
The chooks are now home from their extended holiday with Jodie, and will be let out of the cage in the morning to roam as they like in their new home.
To say that I am thrilled with the structure that Dave & Clare (& Russell) built for me is an understatement. Dave was meticulous in his workmanship, and the quality of the materials used were of a very high standard. There was certainly no cutting corners, which was reflected in the finished structure. I am now excited that I will have apples and other fruit to enjoy for many years to come......and I have room for about another 6 - 8 trees.....bonus!
Now that my trees are safe, the next job is to look at something (simpler) for Russell's trees.
As an ironic side note: As Dave, Clare, Russell and I sat outside this afternoon admiring the week's work, two Black Cockatoos flew overhead. We all laughed.....lol!
Linda :)