Isn’t this a beauty? This is not a Monarch, but it just happened to be in the garden posing.

I’m taking care of my neighbor’s chickens again – this time jointly with the new neighbors on their far side. Before they left, they gave me a monarch butterfly chrysalis, hanging on a milkweed leaf, in a vase, along with a branch that has a monarch caterpillar. Before they return, I will, with luck, see the butterfly emerge, and watch the caterpillar cocoon itself. I’m hoping to photograph the process. When I collected the science project, I was astonished to discover how much pooping a caterpillar does –  the droppings on the newspaper under the vase looked as if a family of mice had been living there. Who would have thought?

My science project

 

Monarch Chrysalis

Monarch caterpillar

       

 

 

 

 

 

The green unwanteds

Anyway, I mention this because of the serendipity of this new knowledge.  The very next morning when I went out to inspect the vegetables, everything looked great until I came to the broccoli. Now I’ve had good success with broccoli, and have never encountered the green caterpillars that other people mention as being inevitable. Other gardeners, when I say I have never seen the green things, always laugh and tell me I’ve probably been eating them. Well…I am glad to say I wasn’t eating them and I didn’t have them, until today, that is. Every leaf on the broccoli looked like swiss cheese. And everything was covered with little black leavings. My first reaction was total disgust – I was ready to rip everything up and burn the lot. But…because of the monarch caterpillar, I was able to put two and two together. I knew what those little black things were. Slowly I calmed myself and had a closer look. Sure enough, hidden along all, the veins of the leaves, on top and beneath, were the green caterpillars. And they were everywhere. But…I was mad too, because the broccoli flowers had just begun to grow. Maybe I wouldn’t want to eat the leaves, but I did want the broccoli heads. So, I got busy and picked every caterpillar off, and then washed all the leaves, until things didn’t look horrifying anymore. I went out twice to inspect, found a few more critters, and I dare say I’ll have to do this every day from now on. But I think I saved the broccoli.

Wasp dining on the caterpillar droppings

I ended up with a bucket of green caterpillars. Now I’m sure you know what I did with them. Yes…they loved them. They’re chickens after all – they eat bugs and crawly things. I gave them to the big chickens and saved a small dish for the chicks. But when I took them in, Audrey wouldn’t touch them, and she warned the chicks away. I wonder if there are things that chicks shouldn’t eat when they are young and Audrey knew it.

 

 

The garden doesn’t look too bad after the critter picking

 

First trip up the ladder

After the adrenalin start to the day, I spent much of the afternoon watching the chicks. It was their first time up the ladder to the upper level, and down the outside ladder to the outdoor pen. One of the chicks is smaller (and slower) than the others. She got left behind when Audrey and the other chicks made it to the outdoors. Audrey went back in and tried to corral her up the ladder, but eventually I went in, scooped her up and put her at the top of the outdoor ladder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harriet says hello

Everything went well after that. The other chickens came to visit, and one in particular, Harrtiet, is very curious.

Everyone’s happy

We had a late afternoon thunderstorm with TONS of water – everything was vibrant afterward

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here’s the sweetest story of the day. When Audrey decided it was time to take the chicks in, she clucked and headed up the ladder. The three bigger chicks followed her, but the little one couldn’t figure out how to get onto the ladder. Since it sticks well into the A-frame, there’s a gap underneath. The little chick hugged the chicken wire and ran back and forth under the ladder, peeping desperately. Audrey took the others on in and dropped down to the floor, out of sight. But…one of the other chicks turned around and zipped back down the ladder to the little chick, flew off the ladder in front of her, and then hopped up onto the ladder and ran up – showing her how to get in. Still she didn’t get it, so the bigger chick returned to her and tried again. I think the chick did this five or six times. Finally she got it, hopped up and ran in.

A kind-hearted chick

I was speechless – just in awe of the kindness of that little chick.

 

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