The Fig Tree

Usually I wait excitedly for the figs on the tree to ripen so I can make candied figs or just preserves; What a delight they are. I even get calls from family members asking if I put up figs this year…

Florida has had massive amounts of rain this year. The ground was soaked with such a load of it that the fig tree drank it in greedily. Rain is not always good for figs, at least not at fig season; Before fig season yes, during the harvesting time no. When it rains on ripening figs the fig soaks up the water and they POP open at the bud end. It’s a very sad situation. They ooze juice and little beetles find their way inside and begin dinner. It totally ruins the crop. I guess this is why one seldom sees figs in the store. It’s such a tender, perishable crop.

Enter the hungry chicken… I never knew chickens loved figs. However, every morning after I let the little turds outside, they have a pattern of interest usually followed with little change. They fly swift-footed to the porch, checking for left over cat food, which I always get up first, before they can dig in (ha ha). Then finding none, they run to the fig tree and scream to high heaven with their cackling at me to come give them the juicy bits they can’t jump for. I have two chickens who can hop up flat-footed 4 ft. without a problem. Then there’s the others who are so heavy they can hop maybe 16 inches. It matters not who hops well and who doesn’t. They know that if they make enough noise at me I’ll come and snap off the now, inedible fruit! I do of course, as any good doting mother would. Do they have me trained? Oh yeah…

While sharing some figs with the girls who seem to ignore the ground tossed  fruit (spoiled rotten chickens), even the most obnoxious of hens will happily peck the fruit away from my fingers and miss hitting me.

So? You want your fingers…

Then there’s Elizabeth, the Blue Ameraucana, who is really so veracious with her pecking that my fingers are subject to being bitten a goodly amount. Sometimes I thump her to remind her those fingers are attached to a human.

Sending you all Peace and Happy Chickens!